Growing discharge trees with self-consistent charge transport: the collective dynamics of streamers

DOI10.1088/1367-2630/16/1/013039zbMATH Open1451.78015arXiv1307.2378OpenAlexW3105562802MaRDI QIDQ3387983FDOQ3387983

Authors: Alejandro Luque, Ute Ebert 

Publication date: 8 January 2021

Published in: New Journal of Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: We introduce the generic structure of a growth model for branched discharge trees that consistently combines a finite channel conductivity with the physical law of charge conservation. It is applicable, e.g., to streamer coronas near tip or wire electrodes and ahead of lightning leaders, to leaders themselves and to the complex breakdown structures of sprite discharges high above thunderclouds. Then we implement and solve the simplest model for positive streamers in ambient air with self-consistent charge transport. We demonstrate that charge conservation contradicts the common assumption of dielectric breakdown models that the electric fields inside all streamers are equal to the so-called stability field and we even find cases of local field inversion. We also discuss the charge distribution inside discharge trees, which provides a natural explanation for the observed reconnections of streamers in laboratory experiments and in sprites. Our simulations show the structure of an overall "streamer of streamers" that we name collective streamer front, and predict effective streamer branching angles, the charge structure within streamer trees, and streamer reconnection.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1307.2378

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Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Electro- and magnetostatics (78A30) Composite media; random media in optics and electromagnetic theory (78A48) Meteorology and atmospheric physics (86A10)

Cites Work

• VODE: A Variable-Coefficient ODE Solver
• Spatially hybrid computations for streamer discharges. II: Fully 3D simulations
• Density models for streamer discharges: beyond cylindrical symmetry and homogeneous media

Cited In (7)

• Title not available (Why is that?)
• Title not available (Why is that?)
• On the mechanisms of lightning initiation and positive leader intergrowth
• Modeling and rapid simulation of the propagation and multiple branching of electrical discharges in gaseous atmospheres
• Stochastic and self-consistent 3D modeling of streamer discharge trees with Kinetic Monte Carlo
• Kinematic model for long streamers. Self-similar description of the streamer evolution
• Streamer line modeling

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