RSS feeds
РусскийEnglish
Issue 4, 2024
Volume year page
Issues Authors PACS Subscription For authors

Issues

 / 

2001

 / 

November

←  →

Reviews of topical problems


Runaway breakdown and electric discharges in thunderstorms

,
Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky prosp. 53, Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation

This review concerns the theory of the avalanche multiplication of high-energy (0.1-10 MeV) electrons in a neutral material, a newly discovered phenomenon known as runaway breakdown (RB). In atmospheric conditions RB takes place at electric fields an order of magnitude weaker than those needed for normal breakdown in air. Experimental work of the past few years has shown that RB determines the maximum electric field strength in thunderclouds and is behind a variety of phenomena newly observed in thunderstorm atmosphere, such as giant high-altitude discharges between thunderclouds and the ionosphere, anomalous amplifications of X-ray emission, intense bursts of gamma radiation, etc. These phenomena are becoming increasingly active areas of study. A necessary condition for the occurrence of runaway avalanche is the presence of high energy seed electrons. In the atmosphere, these are cosmic ray secondary electrons. Therefore, the observed effects reflect the close relationship between cosmic rays and electrodynamic processes in the thunderstorm atmosphere. The first laboratory results on RB are also presented. Further studies in this area may be of interest for high-current electronics.

Fulltext pdf (703 KB)
Fulltext is also available at DOI: 10.1070/PU2001v044n11ABEH000939
PACS: 52.80.−s, 52.80.Mg, 92.60.Pw (all)
DOI: 10.1070/PU2001v044n11ABEH000939
URL: https://ufn.ru/en/articles/2001/11/b/
000174555600002
Citation: Gurevich A V, Zybin K P "Runaway breakdown and electric discharges in thunderstorms" Phys. Usp. 44 1119–1140 (2001)
BibTexBibNote ® (generic)BibNote ® (RIS)MedlineRefWorks

Оригинал: Гуревич А В, Зыбин К П «Пробой на убегающих электронах и электрические разряды во время грозы» УФН 171 1177–1199 (2001); DOI: 10.3367/UFNr.0171.200111b.1177

References (124) ↓ Cited by (325) Similar articles (20)

  1. Gurevich A V, Milikh G A, Roussel-Dupre R Phys. Lett. A 165 463 (1992)
  2. Mesyats G A, Korolev Yu D Fizika Impul’snogo Proboya Gazov (Physics of Pulsed Breakdown in Gases, Moscow: Nauka, 1991)
  3. Raîzer Yu P Fizika Gazovogo Razryada (Physics of Gas Discharge, Moscow: Nauka, 1992) [Translated into English (Berlin: Springer, 1997)]
  4. von Engel A, Steenbeck M Elektrische Gasentladungen, Ihre Physik und Technik Vols 1, 2 (Berlin: Springer, 1932, 1934) [Translated into Russian (Moscow-Leningrad: ONTI, 1935)]
  5. Loeb L B Fundamental Processes of Electrical Discharges in Gases (New York: J. Wiley & Sons, 1939) [Translated into Russian (Moscow: Gostekhizdat, 1950)]
  6. Granovskiî V L Elektricheskiî Tok v Gazakh (Electric Current in Gases, Moscow-Leningrad: GITTL, 1952)
  7. Meek J M, Craggs J D (Eds) Electrical Breakdown of Gases (Chichester: Wiley, 1978) [Translated into Russian (Moscow: IL, 1980)]
  8. Harvey A F Microwave Engineering (London: Acad. Press, 1963)
  9. Bethe H A Ann. Phys. (Leipzig) 5 325 (1930)
  10. Gurevich A V Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz. 39 1296 (1960) [Sov. Phys. JETP 12 904 (1961)]
  11. Parail V V, Pogutse O P, in Voprosy Teorii Plazmy Issue 11 (Reviews of Plasma Physics, Moscow: Energoizdat, 1982) p. 5
  12. Knoepfel S, Spong E Nucl. Fusion 19 785 (1979)
  13. Landau L D, Lifshitz E M Elektrodinamika Sploshnykh Sred (Electrodynamics of Continuous Media, Moscow: Nauka, 1970) [Translated into English (Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1984)]
  14. Wilson C T R Proc. R. Soc. London 37 32D (1925)
  15. Babich L P, Loîko T V, Tsukerman V A Usp. Fiz. Nauk 160 49 (1990) [Sov. Phys. Usp. 33 27 (1990)]
  16. Gurevich A V, Milikh G M, Roussel-Dupre R A Phys. Lett. A 187 197 (1994)
  17. Roussel-Dupre R A et al. Phys. Rev. E 49 2257 (1994)
  18. Lehtinen N G et al. Geophys. Res. Lett. 24 2639 (1997)
  19. Babich L P, Kutsik I M Teplofiz. Vys. Temp. 33 191 (1995)
  20. Symbalisty E et al. EOS Trans. AGU 78 4760 (1997)
  21. Babich L P et al. Phys. Lett. A 245 460 (1998)
  22. Gurevich A V et al. Radio Sci. 31 1541 (1996)
  23. Gurevich A V, Zybin K P Phys. Lett. A 237 240 (1998); 243 362 (1998)
  24. Gurevich A V et al. Phys. Lett. A 275 101 (2000)
  25. Berestetskiî V B, Lifshitz E M, Pitaevskiî L P Relyativistskaya Kvantovaya Teoriya Vol. 1 (Relativistic Quantum Theory, Moscow: Nauka, 1968) [Translated into English (Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1971)]
  26. Landau L D Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz. 7 203 (1937)
  27. Lifshitz E M, Pitaevskiî L P Fizicheskaya Kinetika (Physical Kinetics, Moscow: Nauka, 1979) [Translated into English (Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1981)]
  28. Landau L D, Lifshitz E M Kvantovaya Mekhanika (Quantum Mechanics, Moscow: Nauka, 1948) [Translated into English (Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1977)]
  29. Bethe H A, Ashkin J, in Experimental Nuclear Physics Vol. 1 (Ed. E Segre, New York: Wiley, 1953) p. 277
  30. MacDonald A D Microwave Breakdown in Gases (New York: Wiley, 1966) [Translated into Russian (Moscow: IL, 1969)]
  31. Gurevich A V, Borisov N D, Milikh G M Physics of Microwave Discharges (Amsterdam: Gordon and Breach, 1997)
  32. Bazielevskaya G A, Svirzhevskaya A K Space Sci. Rev. 85 431 (1988)
  33. Fulks J, Meyer P J. Geophys. 40 751 (1974)
  34. Daniel R R, Stephens S A Rev. Geophys. Space Sci. 12 223 (1974)
  35. MacGorman D R, Rust W D The Electrical Nature of Storms (New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 1998)
  36. Ermakov V I et al. J. Geophys. Res. 102 23413 (1997)
  37. Trakhtengerts V Yu, Mareev E A, Sorokin A E Izv. Vyssh. Uchebn. Zaved. Radiofiz. 40 123 (1997)
  38. Iudin D N, Trakhtengerts V Yu, Preprint IPF RAN No. 482 (Moscow: IPF RAN 1998)
  39. Everett J D, Everett W H Nature 68 599 (1903)
  40. Boys C V Nature 118 749 (1926)
  41. Malan D C.R. Acad. Sci. 205 812 (1937)
  42. Wilson C T R Proc. R. Soc. London 236 297 (1956)
  43. Gales D M Weatherwise 35 72 (1982)
  44. Vaughan O H, Vonnegut B J. Geophys. Res. 94 13179 (1989)
  45. Fisher J R Weather 45 451 (1990)
  46. Franz R C, Nemzek R J, Winckler J R Science 249 48 (1990)
  47. Boeck W L, Vaughan O H, Blakeslee R EOS. Trans. AGH 72 171 (1990)
  48. Winckler J R, Franz R C, Nemzek R J J. Geophys. Res. 98 8775 (1993)
  49. Vaughan O H (Jr.) et al. Month. Weather Rev. 120 1459 (1992)
  50. Lyons W A Geophys. Res. Lett. 21 875 (1994)
  51. Sentman D D, Wescott E M Geophys. Res. Lett. 20 2857 (1993)
  52. Sentman D D et al. Geophys. Res. Lett. 22 1205 (1995); Wescott E M et al. Geophys. Res. Lett. 22 1209 (1995)
  53. Boeck W L et al. J. Geophys. Res. 100 (D1) 1465 (1995)
  54. Winckler J R et al. J. Geophys. Res. 101 6997 (1996)
  55. Boccippio D J et al. Science 269 1088 (1995)
  56. Wescott E M et al., Preprint (University of Alaska, 1997)
  57. Rairden R L, Mende S B Geophys. Res. Lett. 22 3465 (1995)
  58. Uman M A The Lightning Discharge (Orlando: Acad. Press, 1987)
  59. Imenitov I N, Chubarina E B, Shvarts Ya M Elektrichestvo Oblakov (Cloud Electricity, Leningrad: Gidrometeoizdat, 1971)
  60. Inan U S, Knifsend F A, Oh J J. Geophys. Res. 95 17217 (1990)
  61. Inan U S, AGARD Report (1995)
  62. Sampath H T, Inan U S, Johnson M P J. Geophys. Res. 105 183 (2000)
  63. Roussel-Dupre R, Gurevich A V J. Geophys. Res. 101 2297 (1996)
  64. Pasko V P, Inan U S, Bell T F Geophys. Res. Lett. 23 649 (1996)
  65. Taranenko Y, Roussel-Dupre R Geophys. Res. Lett. 23 571 (1996)
  66. Bell T F, Pasko V P, Inan U S Geophys. Res. Lett. 22 2127 (1995)
  67. Symbalisty E M D, Roussel-Dupré R A, Yukhimuk V A IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 26 1575 (1998)
  68. Roussel-Dupre R et al. J. Atmos. Sol. Terr. Phys. 60 917 (1998)
  69. Yukhimuk V et al. J. Geophys. Res. 103 11473 (1998)
  70. Yukhimuk V, Roussel-Dupré R, Symbalisty E M D Geophys. Res. Lett. 26 679 (1999)
  71. Pasko V P, Inan U S, Bell T F Geophys. Res. Lett. 25 2123 (1998)
  72. Lehtinen V, Bell T, Inan U S J. Geophys. Res. 104 24699 (1999)
  73. Yukhimuk V et al. Geophys. Res. Lett. 25 3289 (1998)
  74. Barrington-Leigh C et al. Geophys. Res. Lett. 26 3605 (1999)
  75. Davidson G, O’Neil R J. Chem. Phys. 41 3946 (1964)
  76. Hartman K B Planet. Space Sci. 16 1315 (1968)
  77. Mitchell K B J. Chem. Phys. 53 1795 (1970)
  78. Milikh G M, Papadopoulos K, Chang C L Geophys. Res. Lett. 22 85 (1995)
  79. Valdivia J A, Milikh G, Papadopoulos K Geophys. Res. Lett. 24 3169 (1997)
  80. Nunn D, Rodger C Geophys. Res. Lett. 26 3293 (1999)
  81. Pasko V P, Inan U S, Bell T F Geophys. Res. Lett. 23 649 (1996)
  82. Pasko V P, Inan U S, Bell T F Geophys. Res. Lett. 23 301 (1996)
  83. Sukhorukov A I, Rudenchik E A, Stubbe P Geophys. Res. Lett. 23 2911 (1996)
  84. Veronis G, Pasko V, Inan U J. Geophys. Res. 104 12645 (1999)
  85. Suszcynsky D M et al. J. Geophys. Res. 104 31361 (1999)
  86. Symbalisty E M D et al. Icarus 148 65 (2000)
  87. Fishman G J et al. Science 264 1313 (1994)
  88. Nemiroff R J, Bonnell J T, Norris J P J. Geophys. Res. 102 9659 (1997)
  89. Lehtinen N G et al. Geophys. Res. Lett. 23 2645 (1996)
  90. Lehtinen N G et al. Geophys. Res. Lett. 27 1095 (2000)
  91. Marshall T, McCarthy M, Rust W J. Geophys. Res. 100 7097 (1996)
  92. Marshall T, Rust W, Stolzenberg H J. Geophys. Res. 100 1001 (1996)
  93. McCarthy M, Parks G Geophys. Res. Lett. 12 393 (1985)
  94. Eack K B et al. J. Geophys. Res. 101 29637 (1996)
  95. Eack K B Rev. Sci. Instrum. 67 2005 (1996)
  96. Eack K B et al. Geophys. Res. Lett. 23 2915 (1996)
  97. Eack K B et al. Geophys. Res. Lett. 27 185 (2000)
  98. Gurevich A V et al. Phys. Lett. A 282 180 (2001)
  99. Gurevich A V, Milikh G M, Valdivia J A Phys. Lett. A 231 402 (1997)
  100. Gurevich A V, Milikh G M Phys. Lett. A 262 457 (1999)
  101. Rhodes C T et al. J. Geophys. Res. 99 13059 (1994); Mazur V, Krehbiel P R, Shao X-M J. Geophys. Res. 100 25731 (1995)
  102. Raîzer Yu P, Bazelyan É M Iskrovoî Razryad (Spark Discharge, Moscow: Nauka, 1997); see also: Bazelyan E M, Raizer Yu P Spark Discharge (Boca Raton, Fla.: CRC Press, 1998); Bazelyan É M, Raîzer Yu P Usp. Fiz. Nauk 170 753 (2000) [Phys. Usp. 43 701 (2000)]
  103. Valdivia J A, Milikh G M, Popadopoulas K Geophys. Res. Lett. 24 3169 (1997)
  104. Valdivia J A, Milikh G M, Popadopoulas K Radio Sci. 33 1655 (1998)
  105. Iudin D I, Korovkin N B, Trakhtengerts V Yu, in Trudy VI Vsesoyuznoî Konferentsii (Proc. of the VI All-Russia Conf., Nizhniî Novgorod, 2000) p. 7
  106. Russel-Dupre R et al., Report AGU Meeting, December 2000
  107. Gurevich A V, Roussel-Dupre R, Zybin K P Phys. Lett. A 254 79 (1999)
  108. Schouland B Proc. R. Soc. London Ser. A 130 37 (1930)
  109. Alekseenko V V, Sborshchikov V G, Chudakov A E Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR Ser. Fiz. 48 2152 (1984)
  110. Halliday E C Proc. Camb. Philos. Soc. 30 206 (1934)
  111. Appelton E, Bowen E Nature 132 965 (1933)
  112. Clay J, Jongen H, Aarts A Physica 28 801 (1952)
  113. Hill R J. Geophys. Res. 68 6261 (1963)
  114. Shaw G J. Geophys. Res. 72 4623 (1967)
  115. Whitmire D Lett. Nuovo Cimento 26 497 (1979)
  116. Angelo N D Ann. Geophys. B 5 119 (1987)
  117. Suszcynsky D M, Roussel-Dupre R, Shaw G J. Geophys. Res. 101 23505 (1996)
  118. Brunetti M et al. Geophys. Res. Lett. 27 1599 (2000)
  119. Abrashov S et al. Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR Ser. Fiz. 50 2203 (1986)
  120. Chubenko A P et al. Phys. Lett. A 275 90 (2000)
  121. Gurevich A V et al. Phys. Lett. A 260 269 (1999)
  122. Eack K B et al. Geophys. Res. Lett. (2001, in press)
  123. Alexeenko V V et al., in Proc. ICRC 2001; Copernicus Gesellschaft 1 (2001)
  124. Gurevich A V, Zybin K P Phys. Lett. A (2002, in press)
© 1918–2024 Uspekhi Fizicheskikh Nauk
Email: ufn@ufn.ru Editorial office contacts About the journal Terms and conditions