Polarity Asymmetries in Rocket-Triggered Lightning

da Silva, C. L.; Winn, W. P.; Taylor, M. C.; Aulich, G. D.; Hunyady, S. J.; Eack, K. B.; Edens, H. E.; Sonnenfeld, R. G.; Krehbiel, P. R.; Eastvedt, E. M.; Trueblood, J. J.

doi:10.1029/2023gl105041

Title: Polarity Asymmetries in Rocket-Triggered Lightning

Journal Article · 11 September 2023 · Geophysical Research Letters

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2023gl105041 · OSTI ID:1999451

^[1];

^[1]; Taylor, M. C. ^[1]; Aulich, G. D. ^[1]; Hunyady, S. J. ^[1];

^[2]; Edens, H. E. ^[2];

^[1];

^[1]; Eastvedt, E. M. ^[1]; Trueblood, J. J. ^[1]

New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM (United States)
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

The dissonant development of positive and negative lightning leaders is a central question in atmospheric electricity. It is also the likely root cause of other reported asymmetries between positive and negative lightning flashes, including the ones regarding: stroke multiplicity, recoil activity, leader velocities, and emission of energetic radiation. In an effort to contrast lightning leaders of different polarities, we highlight the staggering differences between two rocket-triggered lightning flashes. The flash beginning with upward positive leaders exhibits an initial continuous current stage followed by multiple sequences of dart leaders and return strokes. On the other, in its opposite-polarity counterpart, the upward development of negative leaders is by itself the entire flash. As a result, the flash with negative leaders is faster, briefer, transfers less charge to the ground, has lower currents, and smaller spatial extent. We conclude by presenting a discussion on the three fundamental leader propagation modes.

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Research Organization:: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); National Science Foundation (NSF)

Grant/Contract Number:: 89233218CNA000001; GS-2046043; NA0003988

OSTI ID:: 1999451

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1999453; OSTI ID: 2000932

Report Number(s):: LA-UR-23-26553

Journal Information:: Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 50, Issue 17; ISSN 0094-8276

Publisher:: American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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