Mechanism of Stepped Leaders in a Simple Discharge Model

TL;DR

This paper presents a simplified one-dimensional model to understand the stepwise movement of discharge leaders, using numerical simulations and reduced dynamics to elucidate the underlying mechanism.

Contribution

It introduces a simplified 1D discharge model that captures the stepwise leader motion and analyzes its mechanism through reduced system dynamics.

Findings

Leader moves in steps as shown by simulations

Reduced model explains the stepwise mechanism

Provides insights into discharge dynamics

Abstract

We construct a one-dimensional model for the stepped leader in the filamental discharge by simplifying an electric-circuit model of discharge. We find that the leader of the discharge moves stepwise by direct numerical simulations, and then we try to understand the mechanism of the stepwise motion by reducing the spatially extended system to the dynamics of the tip position of the discharge.