Time-resolved spectral emissions from individual return strokes in lightning discharges

Abstract

During the summer of 1964, a photoelectric system was used to time-resolve characteristic spectral features of individual return strokes in cloud-to-ground lightning discharges. Narrow passband interference filters, selected on the basis of previous information gained from photographic spectrums [Salanave, 1964, 1965; Salanave et al., 1962] were used to isolate the spectral regions of interest. Four emission features from the first return stroke in a ground discharge could be monitored simultaneously. Identical lens and slit systems restricted observations to the same section of a discharge channel.