Unusually intense continuing current in lightning produces delayed mesospheric breakdown

Cummer, Steven A.; Füllekrug, Martin

doi:10.1029/2000gl012214

Cited by 96 publications

(108 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…This contradicts with observations since the measured lightning charge moment changes in TGF-associated strokes are 50-500 times smaller than what the runaway theory predicts (Cummer et al, 2005). However, it is still possible that some TGFs are generated by enormous lightning discharges with charge moment changes of several thousands of C km (Stanley et al, 2000;Cummer and Füllekrug, 2001).…”

Section: V Surkov and M Hayakawa: Underlying Mechanisms Of Transcontrasting

confidence: 50%

Underlying mechanisms of transient luminous events: a review

Сурков

Hayakawa

2012

Ann. Geophys.

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Abstract. Transient luminous events (TLEs) occasionally observed above a strong thunderstorm system have been the subject of a great deal of research during recent years. The main goal of this review is to introduce readers to recent theories of electrodynamics processes associated with TLEs. We examine the simplest versions of these theories in order to make their physics as transparent as possible. The study is begun with the conventional mechanism for air breakdown at stratospheric and mesospheric altitudes. An electron impact ionization and dissociative attachment to neutrals are discussed. A streamer size and mobility of electrons as a function of altitude in the atmosphere are estimated on the basis of similarity law. An alternative mechanism of air breakdown, runaway electron mechanism, is discussed. In this section we focus on a runaway breakdown field, characteristic length to increase avalanche of runaway electrons and on the role played by fast seed electrons in generation of the runaway breakdown. An effect of thunderclouds charge distribution on initiation of blue jets and gigantic jets is examined. A model in which the blue jet is treated as upward-propagating positive leader with a streamer zone/corona on the top is discussed. Sprite models based on streamer-like mechanism of air breakdown in the presence of atmospheric conductivity are reviewed. To analyze conditions for sprite generation, thunderstorm electric field arising just after positive cloudto-ground stroke is compared with the thresholds for propagation of positively/negatively charged streamers and with runway breakdown. Our own estimate of tendril's length at the bottom of sprite is obtained to demonstrate that the runaway breakdown can trigger the streamer formation. In conclusion we discuss physical mechanisms of VLF (very low frequency) and ELF (extremely low frequency) phenomena associated with sprites.

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Section: V Surkov and M Hayakawa: Underlying Mechanisms Of Transcontrasting

confidence: 50%

Underlying mechanisms of transient luminous events: a review

Сурков

Hayakawa

2012

Ann. Geophys.

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“…12). Much slower lightning continuing currents can be detected and measured from distant quasi-static magnetic fields down to a few hertz 15,19 .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These data provide further evidence that the gigantic jet is not linked to any cloud-to-ground lightning stroke 4,11 and that the observed slow charge transfer occurs between the cloud and the ionosphere. Figure 3 shows the relationship between the optical emissions and the instantaneous current moment extracted 15 . The steadily increasing current moment, from t = 0 to 200 ms, occurs before optical emissions are observed.…”

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confidence: 99%

Quantification of the troposphere-to-ionosphere charge transfer in a gigantic jet

et al. 2009

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Gigantic jets are the clearest manifestation of direct electrical coupling between tropospheric thunderstorms and the ionosphere. They are leaders 1-3 that emerge from electrical breakdown near the top of thunderstorms 4 and extend all the way to the lower edge of the ionosphere near 90 km altitude 5 . By contrast, blue jets 6 and other related events 7,8 terminate at much lower altitudes. Gigantic jets have been observed from the ground 5,9,10 and from orbit 11 . Some seem to be consistent with an upward-propagating negative discharge of 1,000 to 2,000 C km total charge moment change 9 , but others have not been connected to distinguishable electromagnetic signatures 10 . Here we report simultaneous low-light video images and low-frequency magnetic field measurements of a gigantic jet that demonstrate the presence and dynamics of a substantial electric charge transfer between the troposphere and the ionosphere. The signatures presented here confirm the negative polarity of gigantic jets 4 and constrain the lightning processes associated with them. The observed total charge transfer from the thunderstorm to the ionosphere is 144 C for the assumed channel length of 75 km, which is comparable to the charge transfer in strong cloud-to-ground lightning strokes.At a field site near Duke University, we routinely monitor optical emissions above thunderstorms and measure <0

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“…The European lightning detection network operated by European Cooperation for Lightning Detection (EUCLID) records CG flash characteristics such as the location, polarity, peak current, and the occurrence times of CG strokes. The sensors of the network use both magnetic direction finding (MDF) and time of arrival (TOA) techniques to determine the location of CG strokes [18]. The detection efficiency (DE) of this network is ∼90% over land and close to the coastline.…”

Section: Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The time delay after the lightning stroke ranges from a few ms to several tens of ms [13,16]; the time delay depends on the characteristics of the SP+CG stroke, especially in terms of CMC, iCMC and current waveforms [17]. It can reach a few tens of ms after a long lightning continuing current following the stroke [18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characteristics of lightning flashes generating sprites above storms

et al. 2016

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Abstract. Sprites are Transient Luminous Events (TLEs) that can extend vertically from 40 to 90 km and horizontally over several tens of km to form clusters of individual or multiple column or/and carrot-shaped luminous elements. They can even extend over more than 100 km in the form of sequential luminous emissions that are called "dancing sprites". Their optical detection and other parameters describing the storm and the lightning activity associated allow us to understand the conditions of their production and their links with the lightning activity. Our observations confirm some characteristics of the sprites and put forward others: (i) the sprites are essentially produced above the stratiform region of the Mesoscale Convective Systems after positive cloud-to-ground lightning flashes that produce large Charge Moment Change (CMC), with a shorter delay if the impulsive CMC (iCMC) is larger. (ii) The dancing sprites reflect the timing and the location of the successive lightning strokes that generate them. (iii) The sprite elements can be shifted from the stroke location when their delay is large. (iv) Bright sprites produce current signatures in ELF radiation a few milliseconds (<5 ms) after the positive strokes that generate them.

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Unusually intense continuing current in lightning produces delayed mesospheric breakdown

Cited by 96 publications

References 20 publications

Underlying mechanisms of transient luminous events: a review

Underlying mechanisms of transient luminous events: a review

Quantification of the troposphere-to-ionosphere charge transfer in a gigantic jet

Characteristics of lightning flashes generating sprites above storms

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