dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaA model study of corona emission from hydrometeors
| Authors | Vicki Schroeder, M. B. Baker, John Latham |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/9803031 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/9803031 |
| DOI | 10.1002/qj.49712555710 |
Abstract
The maximum measured electric fields in thunderclouds are an order of magnitude less than the fields required for electric breakdown of the air. One explanation for lightning initiation in these low fields is that electric breakdown first occurs at the surfaces of raindrops where the ambient field is enhanced very locally due to the drop geometry. Laboratory experiments [Crabb & Latham, 1974] indicate that colliding raindrops which coalesce to form elongated water filaments can produce positive corona in ambient fields close to those measured in thunderclouds. We calculate the E-field distribution around a simulated coalesced drop pair and use a numerical model to study the positive corona mechanisms in detail. Our results give good agreement with the laboratory observations. At the altitudes (and thus low pressures) at which lightning initiation is observed, our results show that positive corona can occur at observed in-cloud E-fields.
{
"annotation_id": "24c37dc0-b60b-4e17-95b7-7a297c63d4bb",
"date_created": "2026-03-02T18:01:21.231000Z",
"date_modified": "2026-03-02T18:01:21.231000Z",
"file_hash": "344c7912012246b1355251e6ed447c3bcb610ba78bbb4b33b3c73e50190ec082",
"private": false,
"record": {
"abstract": "The maximum measured electric fields in thunderclouds are an order of\nmagnitude less than the fields required for electric breakdown of the air. One\nexplanation for lightning initiation in these low fields is that electric\nbreakdown first occurs at the surfaces of raindrops where the ambient field is\nenhanced very locally due to the drop geometry. Laboratory experiments [Crabb \u0026\nLatham, 1974] indicate that colliding raindrops which coalesce to form\nelongated water filaments can produce positive corona in ambient fields close\nto those measured in thunderclouds.\n We calculate the E-field distribution around a simulated coalesced drop pair\nand use a numerical model to study the positive corona mechanisms in detail.\nOur results give good agreement with the laboratory observations. At the\naltitudes (and thus low pressures) at which lightning initiation is observed,\nour results show that positive corona can occur at observed in-cloud E-fields.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/9803031",
"authors": [
"Vicki Schroeder",
"M. B. Baker",
"John Latham"
],
"categories": [
"physics.ao-ph",
"physics.geo-ph"
],
"doi": "10.1002/qj.49712555710",
"title": "A model study of corona emission from hydrometeors",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/9803031"
},
"schema_id": "dorsal/arxiv",
"source": {
"execution_id": "facb2c56-08cf-4662-bd5f-8e582038df12",
"id": "arXiv Dataset IDs",
"type": "Model",
"variant": "snapshot-2026-03-01",
"version": "0.1.0"
},
"user_id": 1000002
}