《Fundamental processes in long air gap discharges》.pdf

ARTICLE IN PRESS S1631-0705(02)01414-7/REV AID:1414 Vol.3(0) P.1 (1-25) CRAgroup 2002/08/27 Prn:4/11/2002 ;8:18 F:comren1414.tex by:Au p. 1 C. R. Physique 3 (2002) 1–25 Physique appliquée/Applied physics MÉCANISMES PHYSIQUES DU NUAGE D’ORAGE ET DE L’ÉCLAIR THE PHYSICS OF THUNDERCLOUD AND LIGHTNING DISCHARGE Fundamental processes in long air gap discharges I. Gallimberti a, G. Bacchiega a, Anne Bondiou-Clergerie b, Philippe Lalande b a R IRS srl, via Vigonovese 81, 35127 Padova, Italy E b ONERA, 29, av. de la division Leclerc, 92332 Châtillon, France I F S S O Abstract The development of atmospheric lightning is initiated and sustained by the formation in D O virgin air of ‘streamer corona’ and ‘leader’ discharges, very similar to those observed in laboratory long sparks. Therefore, the experimental and theoretical investigations of these laboratory discharges have become of large interest to improve the physical knowledge of the lightning process and to develop self-consistent models that could be applied to new O protection concepts. In the present paper th