Dart-Leader and K-Leader Velocity From Initiation Site to Termination
Time-Resolved with 3D Interferometry
Abstract
Simultaneous data from two interferometers separated by 16 km and
synchronized within 100 ns was collected for a thunderstorm near
Langmuir Lab on October 23, 2018. Analysis via triangulation followed by
a least-squares fit to time of arrival across all six antennae produced
a three-dimensional interferometer data set (3DINTF). Simultaneous
Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) data enabled an independent calculation of
3DINTF accuracy, yielding a median location uncertainty of 200 m. This
is the most accurate verified result to date for a two-station
interferometer. The 3D data allowed profiling the velocity of multiple
dart leaders and K leaders that followed the same channel. 3D velocities
calculated from the in-cloud initiation site to ground ranged from
3x106 m/s to 20x106 m/s. Initial
velocity generally increased with subsequent leaders, consistent with
increased conditioning of the channel. Also, all leaders showed a factor
of two to three decrease in velocity as they proceeded over 15 km of
channel. We speculate that the velocity decrease is consistent with
energy lost in the reionization of the leader tip. This paper includes
an appendix providing details of the triangulation technique used.