Physics of Streamers, Leaders, and the Lightning Discharge
Physics of Streamers, Leaders, and the Lightning Discharge
Session ID#: 281098
Session Description:
Lightning is comprised of a variety of processes over a multitude of scales including the initial breakdown stage, fast streamer-based breakdown, leader steps, streamer zones, space stems and space leaders, needles, recoil leaders, return strokes, and M components. Lightning channels promote energy exchange between plasma and surrounding environment generating a plethora of impacts in the atmosphere and to society. In recent years, substantial instrumentation advances have been made in optical, radio-frequency, and energetic radiation imaging of the lightning channels' initiation, propagation, and attachment to ground structures, as well as the return stroke and the subsequent processes taking place inside its decaying channels. Additionally, during the next decade the field should see an explosive growth in the development and use of computational models of lightning and its multi-spectral emissions. We seek abstracts on natural and laboratory observations, modeling, and theoretical efforts dedicated to advancing our community’s understanding of lightning physics.
Index Terms:
0545 Modeling [COMPUTATIONAL GEOPHYSICS]
0654 Plasmas [ELECTROMAGNETICS]
3324 Lightning [ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSES]
6969 Remote sensing [RADIO SCIENCE]
Primary Convener: Caitano L. da Silva, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Langmuir Lab, Socorro, NM, United States
Conveners: Rasha Abbasi, University of Utah, Physics Department, Salt Lake City, United States and Adonis Leal, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Langmuir Lab, Socorro, NM, United States
See more of: Atmospheric and Space Electricity