Propagation of positive, negative, and recoil leaders in upward lightning flashes

Abstract

Leader propagation is a fundamental issue in lightning physics. The propagation characteristics of positive leaders and negative leaders are summarized and compared based on data from high-speed camera and electromagnetic field in rocket-triggered lightning and tower-initiated lightning discharges; available channel base current data recorded in rocket-triggered lightning are also used. The negative leaders propagate in a stepped fashion accompanied by many branches. The stems ahead of the negative leader tip determine the manner and direction of the leader propagation, and even the branching and winding of the lightning channel. The impulsive current, electromagnetic field, and related optical images suggest that the positive leader may develop in a step-like fashion at its initial stage of triggered lightning. However, the stepping processes of the positive leader are obviously different from those of the negative leader. Tower-initiated lightning revealed that the most conspicuous characteristics of the stepwise positive leader involve the intermittent brush-like corona zone in front of the leader tip and the luminosity enhancement of the channel behind the tip. In rocket-triggered lightning flashes, the charge transferred during an individual step for the negative leader was nearly an order greater than for the positive counterpart. The successive streamers ahead of the leader tip are essential for both negative and positive leader propagation, and the stems could be formed from one or more streamers in the previous negative streamer zone with the main leader channel dim. High-resolution observation of tower lightning also revealed a new type of bidirectional recoil leader, with polarity contrary to the traditional one, traversing in negative channels associated with tower-initiated and rocket-triggered lightning.