Electrostatic sound in clouds and lightning

The sound pulse produced by the electrostatic stress of the cylindrical charge distribution of a lightning Stepped leader (the predischarge, large-radius, nonequilibrium, electrostatic breakdown leader) has been calculated with a numerical computational program. The radial diffusion of the charge (ionic mobility) in the electrostatic field occurs simultaneously with the radial propagation of the sound pulse. The magnitude of the resulting sound pulse is approximately 300 dynes/cm2 after propagating 5 times the original stepped leader radius. The shock and sound pulse originating from the Subsequent main stroke hot air channel has been similarly calculated and duplicates previous results of G. G. Goyer and M. N. Plooster (1968) except for a variable γ-law equation of state of air. The electrostatic sound pulse is roughly 1/300 of the subsequent main stroke, but, since it occurs earlier in time (10 to 100 msec), it should be detectable. The dominant frequency is roughly the same for the two sound pulses.

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