Abstract
The pressure balance on the surface of a charged drop of the ideal incompressible liquid freely falling in a homogeneous electrostatic field are analyzed and the critical conditions for instability of the liquid surface are established. Satisfying the criteria found, the values of the drop charge, the electrostatic field strength, and the drop velocity relative to the medium coincide with those observed in thunderstorm clouds. Therefore, the proposed model conditions can be used as a basis in developing a hypothetical mechanism of lightning discharge initiation.
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