Radio emission reveals inner meter-scale structure of negative lightning leader steps
- Hare, B.M.
- Scholten, Olaf
- Dwyer, Joseph
- Ebert, Ute
- Nijdam, Sander
- Bonardi, A.
- Buitink, S.
- Corstanje, A.
- Falcke, H.
- Huege, T.
- Hörandel, Jörg
- Krampah, G.K.
- Mitra, P.
- Mulrey, K.
- Neijzen, B.
- Nelles, A.
- Pandya, H.
- Rachen, J.P.
- Rossetto, L.
- Trinh, Gia
- Veen, Sander
- Winchen, T.
DOIAbstract
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 (30-80 MHz) radiation are emitted in short-duration bursts (<10 μs). This is evidence for streamer formation during corona flashes that occur with each leader step, which has not been observed before in natural lightning and it could help explain x-ray emission from lightning leaders, as x rays from laboratory leaders tend to be associated with corona flashes. Surprisingly, we find that the stepping length is very similar to what was observed near the ground, however with a stepping time that is considerably la...
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