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Title: New mechanism for lightning initiation

Abstract

This is the final report of a three-year, Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). To distinguish radio-frequency (rf) signals generated by lightning from the electromagnetic pulse produced by a nuclear explosion, it is necessary to understand the fundamental nature of thunderstorm discharges. The recent debate surrounding the origin of transionospheric pulse pairs (TIPPs) detected by the BLACKBEARD experiment aboard the ALEXIS satellite illustrates this point. We have argued that TIPP events could originate from the upward propagating discharges recently identified by optical images taken from the ground, from airplanes, and from the space shuttle. In addition, the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) measurements of x-ray bursts originating from thunderstorms are almost certainly associated with these upward propagating discharges. When taken together, these three measurements point directly to the runaway electron mechanism as the source of the upward discharges. The primary goal of this research effort was to identify the specific role played by the runaway-air-breakdown mechanism in the general area of thunderstorm electricity and in so doing develop lightning models that predict the optical, rf, and x-ray emissions that are observable from space.

Authors:
; ;  [1]
  1. Lebedev Institute of Physical Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation); and others
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
380319
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-96-3329
ON: DE97000297; TRN: 96:005714
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-36
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: [1996]
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
58 GEOSCIENCES; 66 PHYSICS; LIGHTNING; X-RAY DETECTION; EVALUATION; ELECTRIC DISCHARGES; ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSES

Citation Formats

Roussel-Dupre, R, Buchwald, M, and Gurevich, A. New mechanism for lightning initiation. United States: N. p., 1996. Web. doi:10.2172/380319.
Roussel-Dupre, R, Buchwald, M, & Gurevich, A. New mechanism for lightning initiation. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/380319
Roussel-Dupre, R, Buchwald, M, and Gurevich, A. 1996. "New mechanism for lightning initiation". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/380319. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/380319.
@article{osti_380319,
title = {New mechanism for lightning initiation},
author = {Roussel-Dupre, R and Buchwald, M and Gurevich, A},
abstractNote = {This is the final report of a three-year, Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). To distinguish radio-frequency (rf) signals generated by lightning from the electromagnetic pulse produced by a nuclear explosion, it is necessary to understand the fundamental nature of thunderstorm discharges. The recent debate surrounding the origin of transionospheric pulse pairs (TIPPs) detected by the BLACKBEARD experiment aboard the ALEXIS satellite illustrates this point. We have argued that TIPP events could originate from the upward propagating discharges recently identified by optical images taken from the ground, from airplanes, and from the space shuttle. In addition, the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) measurements of x-ray bursts originating from thunderstorms are almost certainly associated with these upward propagating discharges. When taken together, these three measurements point directly to the runaway electron mechanism as the source of the upward discharges. The primary goal of this research effort was to identify the specific role played by the runaway-air-breakdown mechanism in the general area of thunderstorm electricity and in so doing develop lightning models that predict the optical, rf, and x-ray emissions that are observable from space.},
doi = {10.2172/380319},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/380319}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1996},
month = {Tue Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1996}
}