M‐component currents of first return strokes in natural negative cloud‐to‐ground lightning

Visacro, Silvério; Araujo, Listz; Guimarães, Miguel; Vale, María Helena Murta

doi:10.1002/2013jd020026

Cited by 18 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…In addition to M-components, Malan and Collens (1937) reported on "later components of branched strokes," which followed the return stroke and produced luminosity enhancements in the section of the grounded channel below the observable branching point. Since first stroke channels usually exhibit branches created by the stepped leader, some of the early M-components observed by Visacro et al (2013) are probably of the same nature as the branch components reported by Malan and Collens (1937).…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 65%

“…For “early” M‐components, which immediately followed the first‐return stroke current peak, they reported a factor of 3 larger charge transfer to ground than that observed for M‐components in rocket‐triggered lightning by Thottappillil et al (). It is possible that M‐components reported by Visacro et al () were superimposed on the tail of return stroke current (as opposed to being superimposed on CC), which is expected to last up to 3 ms or so. In addition to M‐components, Malan and Collens () reported on “later components of branched strokes,” which followed the return stroke and produced luminosity enhancements in the section of the grounded channel below the observable branching point.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…An example of electric field signature of in-cloud leader making connection with the continuing-current-carrying channel and producing a hook-shaped signature characteristic Since the occurrence of M-components requires the presence of CC, which is more likely to accompany subsequent return strokes (e.g., Rakov & Uman, 1990;Shindo & Uman, 1989), most of the information on M-components found in the literature corresponds to subsequent strokes. Visacro et al (2013) were the first who obtained current records of M-components in negative first strokes initiated by downward leaders terminated on the instrumented tower at the Morro do Cachimbo Station, Brazil. For "early" M-components, which immediately followed the first-return stroke current peak, they reported a factor of 3 larger charge transfer to ground than that observed for M-components in rocket-triggered lightning by Thottappillil et al (1995).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

An Advanced Model of Lightning M‐Component

Tran

Rakov

2019

JGR Atmospheres

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An advanced nonlinear and nonuniform distributed circuit (RLCG) model of lightning M‐component has been developed. The model accounts for the variation of the series resistance R of M‐component channel due to its heating by the transient current and its subsequent cooling, longitudinal voltage drop along the channel due to the background continuing current, ohmic losses in the channel corona sheath (represented by shunt conductance G), and variation of series inductance L and shunt capacitance C of the channel with height above ground. The model was tested against the channel‐base current and corresponding close electric fields measured for seven M‐components in negative lightning triggered using the rocket‐and‐wire technique. Detailed sensitivity analysis was performed for one M‐component. The influences of height‐varying series inductance and shunt capacitance and the length of in‐cloud channel (representing the excitation source) on the computed current and field waveforms were found to be relatively insignificant, while the influences of ohmic losses in the channel corona sheath and voltage drop along the grounded channel were significant. The effects of background continuing current level and grounding resistance were significant for M‐field, but not for M‐current. Model‐predicted overall power and current profiles below the cloud base are consistent with the observed M‐component luminosity profiles and are drastically different from the observed downward leader/upward return stroke profiles. The characteristic feature of M‐components, the time shift between the current onset and close electric field peak (essentially absent for leader/return stroke sequences), was well reproduced by our model.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 65%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An Advanced Model of Lightning M‐Component

Tran

Rakov

2019

JGR Atmospheres

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“…When measured at the channel base, the current pulses associated with the M component mode of charge transfer exhibit a more or less symmetrical waveshape (Fisher et al, 1993;Paul & Heidler, 2018;Thottappillil et al, 1995;Visacro et al, 2013) and they are responsible for the above mentioned transient enhancement in the channel luminosity (Campos et al, 2007;Flache et al, 2008;Jordan et al, 1995;Malan & Schonland, 1947;Qie et al, 2011;Stolzenburg et al, 2015;Winn et al, 2012;Zhou et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A New Engineering Model of Lightning M Component That Reproduces Its Electric Field Waveforms at Both Close and Far Distances

Azadifar

Rubinstein

et al. 2019

JGR Atmospheres

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We present a new engineering model for the M component mode of charge transfer to ground that can predict the observed electric field signatures associated with this process at various distances, including (a) the microsecond‐scale pulse thought to be due to the junction of in‐cloud leaders and the grounded, current‐carrying channel and (b) the ensuing slow, millisecond‐scale pulse due to the M component proper occurring below the junction point. We examine the features of 13 microsecond‐scale, fast electric field pulses associated with M component processes in upward negative lightning initiated from the Säntis Tower and recorded 14.7 km from it. Eleven out of the 13 pulses were found to be unipolar with pulse widths in the range of 9.8 to 35 μs, and the other two were bipolar. To model the process that gives rise to microsecond‐scale pulses, we hypothesize that the current pulses propagating away from the junction point along the main lightning channel (below the junction point) and along the feeding in‐cloud leader channel (branch) carry the same amount of charge. We further assume that the pulse traversing the branch is similar to a subsequent return‐stroke (RS) pulse. In the model, the RS‐like process is represented by the MTLE model. The millisecond‐scale field signature that follows the initial fast pulse in M components at close distances is simulated in our model using the guided‐wave M component model. The proposed model successfully reproduces the vertical electric field waveforms associated with M‐component processes in upward lightning flashes initiated from the Säntis Tower at 14.7‐km distance from the lightning channel, in which both the fast, microsecond‐scale and the following slower, millisecond‐scale pulses were observed. The model also reasonably reproduces the known features of electric field signatures at close distances (up to 5 km), where the amplitude of the millisecond‐scale hook‐like pulse is much larger than that of the microsecond‐scale pulse, and at far distances (of the order of 100 km), where the microsecond‐scale pulses are dominant.

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“…And based on this conclusion, Campos et al [, ] investigated waveshapes of light signal during continuing current (CC) for negative and positive CG lightning from high‐speed video observation. Visacro et al [] showed that the profiles of current and relative light intensity were similar for M‐component of first return strokes. Recently, taking advantage of rocket‐triggered lightning, further works have been carried out on the current/light correlation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Correlation between the spectral features and electric field changes for natural lightning return stroke followed by continuing current with M‐components

et al. 2016

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According to the high time‐resolved spectra of two first and a subsequent return strokes and the following continuing current processes overlapped with M‐components in three natural cloud‐to‐ground lightning, the correlation between the total intensity of ionic lines in the spectra and the corresponding amplitude of electric field change and that between the total intensity of the spectra and the apparent diameter of the discharge channel have been investigated. Linear correlations have been found for the above two sets of parameters. The luminous properties along the channel show that the total intensity of ionic lines in the spectra for both the return stroke and M‐components decreases with increasing height along the channel. The total intensity of the spectra and the apparent diameter for the return stroke also go down with increase of the height, while those for M‐components do the reverse.

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M‐component currents of first return strokes in natural negative cloud‐to‐ground lightning

Cited by 18 publications

References 18 publications

An Advanced Model of Lightning M‐Component

An Advanced Model of Lightning M‐Component

A New Engineering Model of Lightning M Component That Reproduces Its Electric Field Waveforms at Both Close and Far Distances

Correlation between the spectral features and electric field changes for natural lightning return stroke followed by continuing current with M‐components

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