Simultaneous observations of electric field changes, wideband magnetic field pulses, and VHF emissions associated with K processes in lightning discharges

Abstract

We studied simultaneous electric field changes, microsecond-scale (VLF/LF) magnetic field pulses, and VHF emissions associated with K processes in 37 cloud and 54 cloud-to-ground lightning flashes that occurred in a local convective thunderstorm in Shanghai. All the observed features were very similar for both types of flashes. Over 98% of the 1252 observed K changes were associated with detectable microsecond-scale pulses, although only about 26% of them were accompanied by large pulses whose amplitude exceeds by at least 50% the average amplitude of the five largest pulses in the flash. VHF bursts, which almost always coincide in time with microsecond-scale pulses, can occur either during K changes or during the gaps between K changes. About 9% of K changes were observed to be associated with regular pulse trains, with pulses in the train showing one-to-one correspondence to VHF bursts and occurring at a geometric mean interval of 6.9 µs. Overall, our results indicate that small microsecond-scale pulses are an inherent feature of K processes. We infer that the K process can be viewed as a fast negative leader, but only those leaders with appreciable charge transfer show step/ramp-like K changes in electric field records.