Radio emission due to simultaneous effect of runaway breakdown and extensive atmospheric showers

The theory of radio emission generated during thunderstorm by cosmic ray particles having high energy E is developed. The emission is shown to have a form of bipolar microsecond radio pulse with characteristic frequency 1-10 MHz. Due to combined action of runaway breakdown and extensive atmospheric shower the emission intensity is high. The radio pulse could be observed for epsilon greater than or equal to 10(17) eV up to distances 100-300 km. Thus the runaway breakdown in thunderclouds can play a role of a spark chamber for radio detection of high energy particles. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.