The initial stage of cloud lightning imaged in high‐resolution

0538858 - ÚFA 2022 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Scholten, O. - Hare, B.M. - Dwyer, J. - Sterpka, C. - Kolmašová, Ivana - Santolík, Ondřej - Lán, Radek - Uhlíř, Luděk - Buitink, S. - Corstanje, A. - Falcke, H. - Huege, T. - Hörandel, J.R. - Krampah, G.K. - Mitra, P. - Mulrey, K. - Nelles, A. - Pandya, H. - Pel, A. - Rachen, J.P. - Trinh, T.N.G. - ter Veen, S. - Thoudam, S. - Winchen, T.
The initial stage of cloud lightning imaged in high‐resolution.
Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres. Roč. 126, č. 4 (2021), č. článku e2020JD033126. ISSN 2169-897X. E-ISSN 2169-8996
R&D Projects: GA ČR GA20-09671S
Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) AP1401
Program: Akademická prémie - Praemium Academiae
Institutional support: RVO:68378289
Keywords : accuracy assessment * data interpretation * electric field * image analysis * lightning * wave propagation
OECD category: Fluids and plasma physics (including surface physics)
Impact factor: 5.217, year: 2021
Method of publishing: Open access
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1029/2020JD033126

With LOFAR we have been able to image the development of lightning flashes with meter‐scale accuracy and unprecedented detail. We discuss the primary steps behind our most recent lightning imaging method. To demonstrate the capabilities of our technique we show and interpret images of the first few milliseconds of two intra‐cloud flashes. In all our flashes the negative leaders propagate in the charge layer below the main negative charge. Among several interesting features we show that in about 2 ms after initiation the Primary Initial Leader triggers the formation of a multitude (more than ten) negative leaders in a rather confined area of the atmosphere. From these only one or two continue to propagate after about 30 ms to extend over kilometers horizontally while another may propagate back to the initiation point. We also show that normal negative leaders can transition into an initial‐leader like state, potentially in the presence of strong electric fields. In addition, we show some initial breakdown pulses that occurred during the primary initial leader, and even during two ”secondary” initial leaders that developed out of stepped leaders.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0316670