Lightning Initiation from Fast Negative Breakdown is Led by Positive
Polarity Dominated Streamers
Abstract
Lightning is a magnificent natural experiment of dielectric breakdown on
a vast scale, providing us rare opportunities to explore this powerful
and dangerous phenomenon hidden deeply in the thunderclouds.
Specifically, how lightning is initiated in the insulating air is still
poorly understood. Using the radio-imaging technique, scientists
remotely sensed the very-high frequency (VHF) radiation of lightning and
found that a system of positive polarity streamers, named fast positive
breakdown (FPB), could be the initiating discharges of some lightning.
Streamers are potential plasma waves composed of ionized air molecules,
which can gradually transition the insulating air into hot, high
conductivity lightning plasma channels. Recently, lighting has also been
reported to be initiated by a burst of negative polarity streamers,
called fast negative breakdown (FNB). However, the laboratory
experiments and simulations of dielectric breakdown suggest that FPB
should be more readily produced compared with FNB. Here, we use our high
bandwidth (>200 MHz) and fast time resolution
(<0.5 microseconds) VHF radio-imaging system, reporting the
first observational evidence of FPB preceding FNB and of simultaneous
development of positive and negative polarity streamers in lightning
initiation. These observations represent a significant addition to our
current physical understanding of natural dielectric breakdown in
thunderstorms.