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
3x10^6 m/s to 20x10^6 m/s. Average 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 channel at the leader tip. This paper includes an appendix providing
details of the triangulation technique used.