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The modeling of channel current in the lightning return stroke
Author(s) -
Price Gary H.,
Pierce E. T.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
radio science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1944-799X
pISSN - 0048-6604
DOI - 10.1029/rs012i003p00381
Subject(s) - current (fluid) , lightning (connector) , transmission line , resistive touchscreen , double exponential function , physics , line (geometry) , exponential function , flash (photography) , exponential decay , peak current , pulse (music) , constant current , channel (broadcasting) , electromagnetic pulse , computational physics , mechanics , voltage , electrical engineering , optics , mathematics , telecommunications , computer science , mathematical analysis , geometry , engineering , power (physics) , electrode , quantum mechanics , nuclear physics , electrochemistry , thermodynamics
The return‐stroke current in a lightning flash to ground is modeled as the response of an initially charged, uniform transmission line to the application of a terminating resistance at one end of the line. For a lossless line, the consequent current is constant between abrupt changes; this current differs substantially from that given by the common modeling procedure of injecting a double‐exponential current pulse into one end of a uniform line. The inclusion in the model of resistive losses along the line produces a current that retains the abrupt initial onset, but has a more realistic decay than the decay of the double‐exponential pulse. The fields associated with such a current in a vertical channel agree reasonably well with those observed.