Studies of Intensive X, gamma and Optic Emission in Runaway Breakdown Process

This report results from a contract tasking P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute as follows: The contractor will investigate electromagnetic emission generated by suprathermal runaway electrons. The investigation of 'runaway breakdown' will be in both atmospheric and in laboratory experiments. It has been established that runaway breakdown is accompanied by a strong optic, X and gamma ray emissions. The contractor will address the following advanced problems in this proposal: (1) Investigate runaway breakdown process in stationary electric field. (2) Investigate runaway breakdown phenomena in laboratory installation in conditions of cyclotron resonance. (3) Investigate the influence of combined effects of runaway breakdown and cosmic rays on lightning processes in thunderstorm atmosphere.