NASA | Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes Create Antimatter

NASA's Fermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope has observed that thunderstorms can create antimatter. This process begins with a terrestrial gamma ray flash (TGF), where electrons in a thunderstorm's electric field accelerate and emit gamma rays. Occasionally, these gamma rays transform into a pair of particles: an electron and its antimatter counterpart, a positron. These particles travel along Earth's magnetic field lines, allowing Fermi to detect them. Fermi has observed this phenomenon multiple times, highlighting the fascinating link between thunderstorms and antimatter creation.

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