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In this article we present the following hypothesis: thunder-cell ejectshighly energetic protons, each of which creates a tree-structure of weaklyionized trajectories that can develop into a lightning channel. Thetree-structure and the channel have the same geometry so the mean free path ofa proton corresponds to the average length of the channel between twosuccessive nodes (branching points). We show this length is around 660 m inlower Earth atmosphere. Effects of Coulomb interaction and various outcomes ofproton-nucleus reaction are taken into account. A prediction of CG/CC ratiothat follows agrees well with the available data, but only measurements oflightning geometry can reveal whether the hypothesis is any closer to thecorrect explanation of the phenomenon.

Thunder-cell as Source of Energetic Protons