High-speed plasma imaging: A lightning bolt

Journal Article · Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1996 · IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/27.491702· OSTI ID:244930

Wurden, G A; Whiteson, D O

Using a gated intensified digital Kodak Ektapro camera system, the authors captured a lightning bolt at 1,000 frames per second, with 100-{micro}s exposure time on each consecutive frame. As a thunder storm approaches while darkness descended (7:50 pm) on July 21, 1994, they photographed lightning bolts with an f22 105-mm lens and 100% gain on the intensified camera. This 15-frame sequence shows a cloud to ground stroke at a distance of about 1.5 km, which has a series of stepped leaders propagating downwards, following by the upward-propagating main return stroke.

• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 244930
• Journal Information: IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, Vol. 24, Issue 1; Other Information: PBD: Feb 1996
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
LIGHTNING
IMAGES
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
PHOTOGRAPHY
DIGITAL SYSTEMS
CAMERAS
IMAGE PROCESSING