Related papers: The initial stage of cloud lightning imaged in hig…

We use the Low Frequency ARray (LOFAR) to probe the dynamics of the stepping process of negatively-charged plasma channels (negative leaders) in a lightning discharge. We observe that at each step of a leader, multiple pulses of VHF…

We have developed a three dimensional (3D) interferometric beamforming technique for imaging lightning flashes using Very-High Frequency (VHF) radio data recorded from several hundreds antennas with baselines up to 100~km as offered by the…

The common phenomenon of lightning still harbors many secrets and only recently a new propagation mode was observed for negative leaders. While propagating in this `Intensely Radiating Negative Leader' (IRNL) mode a negative leader emits…

Electric currents circulating between charged clouds and the earth surface during lightning discharges are responsible for considerable damages and casualties. It is therefore important to develop better protection methods in addition to…

Between May and October 2013 (period of sustained thunderstorm activity in France), several cloud-to-ground lightning flashes have been observed in Paris area with a high-speed video camera (14000 frames per second). The localization and…

Based on experimental results of recent years, this article presents a qualitative description of a possible mechanism (termed the Mechanism) covering the main stages of lightning initiation, starting before and including the initiating…

X-rays have been observed in natural downward cloud-to-ground lightning for over twenty years and in rocket-triggered lightning for slightly less. In both cases, this energetic radiation has been detected during the stepped and dart leader…

Mini arrays are commonly used for infrasonic and seismic studies. Here we report for the first time the detection and mapping of distant lightning discharges in the sky with a mini array. The array has a baseline to wavelength ratio…

This study examines the relationship between upward negative stepped leader pulses in upward positive lightning and preliminary breakdown pulses (PBPs) in downward negative lightning discharges. Through analysis of simultaneous channel-base…

In this paper, we present the first high-speed video observation of a cloud-to-ground lightning flash and its associated downward-directed Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flash (TGF). The optical emission of the event was observed by a high-speed…

A recent study pointed out that macroscopic dark matter (macros) traversing through the earth's atmosphere can give rise to hot and ionized channels similar to those associated with lightning leaders. The authors of the study investigated…

We study the development of a negative discharge driven by a Marx generator of about 1 MV in an air gap of 1 up to 1.5 meter, at standard temperature and pressure. We show the evolution of the discharge with nanosecond-fast photography…

The dissertation describes in detail the experimental studies of the initiation of unusual plasma formations (UPFs) in the electric field of an artificially charged aerosol cloud. These experiments, together with the latest data from the…

Behavior of the potential and electric field intensity at the front of a lightning leader channel taking into account the influence of space charges injected by the streamers is investigated theoretically. Analytical solutions of Poisson…

We show that it is possible to locate the few places on the body of an airplane, while it is flying through high clouds, from which broad-band, pulsed, radiation is emitted at Very High Frequency (VHF) radio frequencies. This serendipitous…

We investigate structure and evolution of long positive spark breakdown; and we study at which stage pulses of hard X-rays are emitted. Positive high-voltage pulses of standardized lightning impulse wave form of about 1 MV were applied to…

We investigate the emergence of space stems ahead of negative leaders. These are luminous spots that appear ahead of an advancing leader mediating the leader's stepped propagation. We show that space stems start as regions of locally…

Radio pulses emitted in the atmosphere during the air shower development of high-energy primary cosmic rays were measured during the late 1960ies in the frequency range from 2 MHz to 520 MHz. Mainly due to difficulties with radio…

We compare two observations of gamma-rays before, during, and after lightning flashes initiated by upward leaders from a tower during low-altitude winter thunderstorms on the western coast of Honshu, Japan. While the two leaders appear…

We discuss a possible generation of radio bursts preceding final stages of binary neutron star mergings which can be accompanied by short gamma-ray bursts. Detection of such bursts appear to be advantageous in the low-frequency radio band…