HR: 08:56h
AN: AE41A-05    [Abstracts]
TI: Leader/Return-Stroke-Like Processes in the Initial Stage of Rocket-Triggered Lightning
AU: * Olsen, R C
EM: rco3@ufl.edu
AF: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 United States
AU: Jordan, D M
EM: jordan@ece.ufl.edu
AF: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 United States
AU: Jerauld, J
EM: jjerauld@ufl.edu
AF: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 United States
AU: Rakov, V A
EM: rakov@ece.ufl.edu
AF: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 United States
AU: Uman, M A
EM: uman@ece.ufl.edu
AF: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 United States
AU: Rambo, K J
EM: rambo@ufl.edu
AF: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 United States
AB: The process of cutoff and re-establishment of current during the initial stage of rocket-triggered lightning is examined and discussed. Linear streak film, video, current, and electric field records from 9 triggered-lightning flashes are analyzed. All of the data were acquired at Camp Blanding, FL, in 2002 and 2003. It is shown that in some rocket-triggered events, the process of cutoff and re-establishment during the initial stage is similar to a leader/return-stroke process, although the currents in this process are typically one to two orders of magnitude smaller than those in a natural or triggered subsequent stroke. In some cases, this process occurs two or three times prior to the successful resumption of current in the channel; these failed attempts at current re-establishment are typically an order of magnitude smaller than the process which finally reestablishes the current. The processes described are very similar to those reported by Rakov et al. [2003]. It is notable that not every rocket-triggered event contains these leader/returnstroke- like processes during the initial stage. References: Rakov, V. A., D. E. Crawford, V. Kodali, V. P. Idone, M. A. Uman, G. H. Schnetzer, and K. J. Rambo, Cutoff and reestablishment of current in rocket-triggered lightning, J. Geophys. Res., 108(D23), 4747, doi:10.1029/2003JD003694, 2003.
DE: 3324 Lightning
DE: 0649 Optics
SC: Atmospheric and Space Electricity [AE]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting