Field Criterion for Sustained Streamer Propagation

Abstract

Experiments have shown that streamers are astonishingly capable of penetrating low-field regions before finally coming to a stop. This lead to a proposed theory of low-field requirements for continued propagation of the ionizing potential space wave constituting the streamer. The long range of impulse streamers in atmospheric air from a positive point was investigated in order to establish their spatial properties and a criterion that allows the prediction of such ranges. This was accomplished by axial and lateral measurements of the ranges of streamers for various gap spacings. A parallel study based on charge simulation and using a digital computer delivered the field intensity at the various points of the gap. The correlation of the results of both studies showed that streamers tend to stop whenever the applied field drops below 500 to 600 V/cm regardless of gap spacing or streamer location. Thus, streamers are not capable of propagating under an external zero field and require this minimum field for sustained advance.

Relationship between sprite streamer behavior and lightning‐driven electric fields

“…This termination field ( E ter ) is also observed in the horizontally varying termination altitude for two sprites with many elements and thus significant horizontal extent. The dependence of streamer termination altitude on ambient field is generally consistent with the stopping field measured in lab experiments [ Nasser et al , 1968]. We find that most of the positive streamer deceleration occurred when the ambient electric field falls below 0.12–0.24 E k .…”

“…Although sprite streamers propagate in nonuniform electric fields and inhomogeneous medium in our measurement, our measured E dec is not significantly different with previously reported critical field to sustain stable propagation for positive streamers. We next compare the measured E ter with the stopping field reported by Nasser et al [1968]. In this experiment, the positive streamer propagate in a nonuniform electric field between a point anode and a plane cathode.…”

“…Laboratory experiments have been conducted with different setups to study the propagation behaviors of corona streamers, such as their diameters and velocities [ Briels et al , 2008a, 2008b], critical ambient electric field to sustain stable propagation [ Phelps , 1971; Phelps and Griffiths , 1976; Allen and Ghaffar , 1995], and streamer terminating fields [ Nasser et al , 1968]. However, with a few exceptions [ Opaits et al , 2010], most of the laboratory experiments were conducted in a homogenous medium with high air atmospheric pressure.…”

Analysis of streamer propagation in atmospheric air

“…In this connection it is significant that the minimum field of streamer propagation was determined to be 600 V/cm in agreement with earlier studies Nasser and Shah, 1969). where the field intensity at the streamer tip was found to be around 1100 V/cm (Table 4).…”

Development of a Method for the Observation of Lightning in Protoplanetary Disks Using Ion Lines

“…Meanwhile, the understanding of the lightning ignition mechanism have progressed in these twenty years. Attempts have been made to explain the mechanism that causes discharge at the point well below the nominal dielectric strength of air (Phelps 1971;Nasser 1968). As result, new lightning models such as Runaway breakdown (Gurevich et al 1992;Gurevich & Zybin 2001) have been proposed.…”