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.

What happens when positrons strike electrons in the Fermi spacecraft?

What should one remember the next time they see lightning and hear thunder?