About Geometry and Initial Phase of Cloud-to-Ground Lightning

TL;DR

This paper investigates the initial phase of cloud-to-ground lightning, proposing that cosmic ray-induced ionized paths may trigger lightning, with statistical analysis of lightning channel internodes supporting this hypothesis.

Contribution

It introduces the idea that cosmic rays could trigger lightning by creating ionized paths, supported by statistical analysis of internode lengths.

Findings

Internode lengths follow an exponential distribution.

Average internode length ranges from 415 m to 510 m.

Potential link between cosmic rays and lightning initiation.

Abstract

Cloud-to-ground lightning is the most common among atmospheric discharges. Since electric fields in the vicinity of a thunder-cloud do not exceed 250 kV/m the physical process that triggers the lightning remains unexplained. [1, 2, 3] Recent measurements established a weak correlation between solar wind and incidence of lightning. [4] Here we show, that if an ionized path created by cosmic rays provides a trigger, the distribution of lengths between two successive forking points in a lightning channel (internodes) closely resembles the exponential distribution with average length between 415 m and 510 m. The results, if confirmed, imply that a thunder-cell may be an additional source of fast elementary particles that initiate lightning process.