Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 26, 2025

Method for Recording Broadband High Resolution Emission Spectra of Laboratory Lightning Arcs
Published on: August 27, 2019
Observation of five types of leaders contained in a negative triggered lightning
Jianguo Wang1, Rui Su2, Junlin Wang2
1School of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China. wjg@whu.edu.cn.
Abstract:
A negative triggered lightning involving five types of leaders was recorded by high-speed camera using frame rate of 20,000 fps and fast antennas at different distances. Five types of leaders contained one upward positive stepped leader, one upward positive dart leader, ten downward negative dart leader, one bidirectional leader and three downward negative dart-stepped leaders were propagated successively in the same channel. The upward positive dart leader occurred after initial continuous current pulse with average 2-D speed of 1.40 × 106 m/s and started second continuous current process. The bidirectional leader was transformed from decaying unidirectional leader and showed the unique electric field changes. Faster return strokes are found to be induced by downward leaders propagating evenly and deposit more positive charge in the following residual channel. The positive charge can inhibit the potential initiation of an upward positive leader and boost the propagation of the next downward negative leader.
Related Concept Videos
Fault Types
For line-to-line faults occurring between phases B and C, the...
Series R—L Circuit Transients
Using Kirchhoff's Voltage Law (KVL) to analyze this circuit helps determine the total asymmetrical fault current, which consists...
Lossy Lines and Overvoltages
Attenuation
When constant series resistance and shunt conductance are present, voltage and current equations are modified. The propagation constant indicates that voltage and current waves consist of both forward and backward traveling components. These waves attenuate as they propagate, with the attenuation factor related to the resistance and conductance. In a...
Power System Three-Phase Short Circuits
Electric Charges
The English physicist William Gilbert studied the phenomenon of static electricity in...
Dark Triad and Person Perception

