Fine Structure Signatures in Ground Flashes as a Source for HF Radiation

Abstract

Lighting radiation fields below 10 MHz are of considerable interest since these frequencies correspond to the natural resonance of structures with dimensions of a few meters to tens of meters. In this paper we present the fine structure signatures of sub-microsecond range pulses appeared at the leader phase and after the return stroke in negative ground flashes which act as a source for HF radiations at 10 MHz, 5 MHz and 3 MHz observed in Sri Lanka, in the tropics. Of the total sub-microsecond range pulses analyzed, 298 were due to positive field changes and 228 were due to negative field changes. The average rise time of those pulses for both polarities is 127 ns and it was found to be varying from 110-160 ns. The peak amplitude is in the range of 0.65-2.19 V/m. For the total 526 pulses analyzed for this study, the FWHM was between 190-310 ns with an arithmetic mean of 238 ns. Signatures of these pulses are similar to the leader like electric field pulses which acted as a strong source for HF radiations at 10 MHz, 5 MHz and 3 MHz. The initiation process of pulses reported in this study could be similar to the initiation process of leader like pulses.