stepped leaders/long sparks

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Article #1094

#1094

From: Jeffrey C Lerman
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 04:18

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Does anyone know anything about the so-called "stepped leader" phenomenon
found in lightning?  This is a process by which the leader of lightning (or
many other gas discharges, but not all) progresses by apparent "steps", each
of which is separated from the next by enough time to justify it being called
a step.  

I am trying to program a mathematical/theoretical model of this process which 
I have found in the literature.  The model originally was intended to explain
the stepping found in long sparks in the laboratory, esp. discgharges through
air of high humidity ( <10 g/cm3 of H2O).  I would like to apply it to
the conditions found in certain types of cloud-to ground lightning, but I
need some help working with the model itself.  I am also
not sure f the theory which the model is based on is still current.

Anyone?

--Jeff Lerman
  student, Washington UNiversity, St. Louis
  314-935-1539
  jcl4@cec1.wustl.edu

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Newsgroups: sci.physics
Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!sparky!uunet!wupost!eclnews!cec1!jcl4
From: jcl4@cec1.wustl.edu (Jeffrey C Lerman)
Subject: stepped leaders/long sparks
Message-ID: <1992Apr13.041801.29671@wuecl.wustl.edu>
Summary: Mechanism for stepped leaders (in long sparks/lightning)?
Keywords: spark electrostatic discharge gas breakdown lightning stepped leader 
Sender: usenet@wuecl.wustl.edu (Usenet Administrator)
Nntp-Posting-Host: cec1
Organization: Washington University, St. Louis Mo.
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 04:18:01 GMT
Lines: 21