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Electrostatic field‐changes due to lightning discharges
Author(s) -
Pierce E. T.
Publication year - 1955
Publication title -
quarterly journal of the royal meteorological society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.744
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1477-870X
pISSN - 0035-9009
DOI - 10.1002/qj.49708134808
Subject(s) - lightning (connector) , electrometer , electric field , meteorology , sign (mathematics) , flash (photography) , range (aeronautics) , field (mathematics) , physics , atmospheric electricity , environmental science , mechanics , computational physics , optics , materials science , mathematics , mathematical analysis , power (physics) , quantum mechanics , pure mathematics , composite material
Extensive observations are described of the changes of electrical field produced by lightning discharges at distances of less than 100 km; in this range electrostatic effects are dominant. The results are analysed in detail. A long series of capillary‐electrometer records obtained with auxiliary amplifying equipment give statistical information upon the magnitude‐distance and sign‐distance relationships for the total electrostatic field‐change due to a lightning flash. From oscillographic observations it is shown that most of this change in field occurs comparatively slowly. It has proved possible to separate field‐changes into distinct groups; these are considered in turn and values given for such quantities as the electric moment and the times involved in each stage, etc. Finally, meteorological influences and the relative frequency of occurrence of cloud and ground discharges are investigated.