From decimeter-scale elevated ionic conductivity regions in the cloud to lightning initiation

Abstract In this work, we represent the lightning initiation scenario as a sequence of two transitions of discharge activity to progressively larger spatial scales: the first one is from small-scale avalanches to intermediate-scale streamers; and the second one is from streamers to the lightning see...

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Autores principales:	D. I. Iudin, V. A. Rakov, A. A. Syssoev, A. A. Bulatov, M. Hayakawa
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Nature Portfolio 2021
Materias:	Medicine R Science Q
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/6b3e6d5e7b0940cab3e0c3e10028ea6c
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:6b3e6d5e7b0940cab3e0c3e10028ea6c2021-12-02T14:58:48ZFrom decimeter-scale elevated ionic conductivity regions in the cloud to lightning initiation10.1038/s41598-021-97321-42045-2322https://doaj.org/article/6b3e6d5e7b0940cab3e0c3e10028ea6c2021-09-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-97321-4https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract In this work, we represent the lightning initiation scenario as a sequence of two transitions of discharge activity to progressively larger spatial scales: the first one is from small-scale avalanches to intermediate-scale streamers; and the second one is from streamers to the lightning seed. We postulate the existence of ion production centers in the cloud, whose occurrence is caused by electric field bursts accompanying hydrometeor collisions (or near collisions) in the turbulent thundercloud environment. When a new ion production center is created inside (fully or partially) the residual ion spot left behind by a previously established center, there is a cumulative effect in the increasing of ion concentration. As a result, the essentially non-conducting thundercloud becomes seeded by elevated ion-conductivity regions (EICRs) with spatial extent of 0.1–1 m and a lifetime of 1–10 s. The electric field on the surface of an EICR (due to its conductivity being at least 4 orders of magnitude higher than ambient) is a factor of 3 or more higher than ambient. For a maximum ambient electric field of 100 kV/m typically measured in thunderclouds, such field enhancement is sufficient for initiation of positive streamers and their propagation over distances of the order of decimeters, and this will be happening naturally, without any external agents (e.g., superenergetic cosmic ray particles) or extraordinary in-cloud conditions, such as very high potential differences or very large hydrometeors. Provided that each EICR generates at least one streamer during its lifetime, the streamers will form a 3D network, some parts of which will contain hot channel segments created via the cumulative heating and/or thermal-ionizational instability. These hot channel segments will polarize, interact with each other, and cluster, forming longer conducting structures in the cloud. When the ambient potential difference bridged by such a conducting structure exceeds 3 MV, we assume that the lightning seed, capable of self-sustained bidirectional extension, is formed.D. I. IudinV. A. RakovA. A. SyssoevA. A. BulatovM. HayakawaNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-12 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q D. I. Iudin V. A. Rakov A. A. Syssoev A. A. Bulatov M. Hayakawa From decimeter-scale elevated ionic conductivity regions in the cloud to lightning initiation
description	Abstract In this work, we represent the lightning initiation scenario as a sequence of two transitions of discharge activity to progressively larger spatial scales: the first one is from small-scale avalanches to intermediate-scale streamers; and the second one is from streamers to the lightning seed. We postulate the existence of ion production centers in the cloud, whose occurrence is caused by electric field bursts accompanying hydrometeor collisions (or near collisions) in the turbulent thundercloud environment. When a new ion production center is created inside (fully or partially) the residual ion spot left behind by a previously established center, there is a cumulative effect in the increasing of ion concentration. As a result, the essentially non-conducting thundercloud becomes seeded by elevated ion-conductivity regions (EICRs) with spatial extent of 0.1–1 m and a lifetime of 1–10 s. The electric field on the surface of an EICR (due to its conductivity being at least 4 orders of magnitude higher than ambient) is a factor of 3 or more higher than ambient. For a maximum ambient electric field of 100 kV/m typically measured in thunderclouds, such field enhancement is sufficient for initiation of positive streamers and their propagation over distances of the order of decimeters, and this will be happening naturally, without any external agents (e.g., superenergetic cosmic ray particles) or extraordinary in-cloud conditions, such as very high potential differences or very large hydrometeors. Provided that each EICR generates at least one streamer during its lifetime, the streamers will form a 3D network, some parts of which will contain hot channel segments created via the cumulative heating and/or thermal-ionizational instability. These hot channel segments will polarize, interact with each other, and cluster, forming longer conducting structures in the cloud. When the ambient potential difference bridged by such a conducting structure exceeds 3 MV, we assume that the lightning seed, capable of self-sustained bidirectional extension, is formed.
format	article
author	D. I. Iudin V. A. Rakov A. A. Syssoev A. A. Bulatov M. Hayakawa
author_facet	D. I. Iudin V. A. Rakov A. A. Syssoev A. A. Bulatov M. Hayakawa
author_sort	D. I. Iudin
title	From decimeter-scale elevated ionic conductivity regions in the cloud to lightning initiation
title_short	From decimeter-scale elevated ionic conductivity regions in the cloud to lightning initiation
title_full	From decimeter-scale elevated ionic conductivity regions in the cloud to lightning initiation
title_fullStr	From decimeter-scale elevated ionic conductivity regions in the cloud to lightning initiation
title_full_unstemmed	From decimeter-scale elevated ionic conductivity regions in the cloud to lightning initiation
title_sort	from decimeter-scale elevated ionic conductivity regions in the cloud to lightning initiation
publisher	Nature Portfolio
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/6b3e6d5e7b0940cab3e0c3e10028ea6c
work_keys_str_mv	AT diiudin fromdecimeterscaleelevatedionicconductivityregionsinthecloudtolightninginitiation AT varakov fromdecimeterscaleelevatedionicconductivityregionsinthecloudtolightninginitiation AT aasyssoev fromdecimeterscaleelevatedionicconductivityregionsinthecloudtolightninginitiation AT aabulatov fromdecimeterscaleelevatedionicconductivityregionsinthecloudtolightninginitiation AT mhayakawa fromdecimeterscaleelevatedionicconductivityregionsinthecloudtolightninginitiation
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From decimeter-scale elevated ionic conductivity regions in the cloud to lightning initiation

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