Electric events synchronized with laser filaments in thunderclouds


Electric events synchronized with laser filaments in thunderclouds

Kasparian, J.; Ackermann, R.; André, Y.; Méchain, G.; Méjean, G.; Prade, B.; Rohwetter, P.; Salmon, E.; Stelmaszczyk, K.; Yu, J.; Mysyrowicz, A.; Sauerbrey, R.; Woeste, L.; Wolf, J.

We investigated the possibility to trigger real-scale lightning using ionized filaments generated by ultrashort laser pulses in the atmosphere. Under conditions of high electric field during two thunderstorms, we observed a statistically significant number of electric events synchronized with the laser pulses, at the location of the filaments. This observation suggests that corona discharges may have been triggered by filaments.

  • Optics Express 16(2008)8, 5757-5763
    ISSN: 1094-4087

Permalink: https://www.hzdr.de/publications/Publ-12485
Publ.-Id: 12485