Narrow bipolar pulse

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Narrow bipolar pulses are high-energy, high-altitude, intra-cloud electrical discharges associated with thunderstorms. NBP are similar to lightning, but produce an optical emission of at least an order of magnitude smaller. They typically occur in the 10-20 km altitude range and emit a power on the order of a few hundred gigawatts. They produce far-field asymmetric bipolar electromagnetic signatures (called narrow bipolar events).

Narrow Bipolar Event: Electric Field (V/m) versus time (microseconds)

[edit] References

[1] M.A. Uman et al., The Electromagnetic Radiation from a Finite Antenna, AJP Vol. 43, 1975.

[2] A.V. Gurevich, K.P. Zybin, Runaway Breakdown and the Mysteries of Lightning, Physics Today 37-43, 2005.

[3] K. B. Eack, Electrical characteristics of narrow bipolar events, Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 31, 2004.

[4] R. Thottappillil, Distribution of charge along the lightning channel: Relation to remote electric and magnetic fields and to return-stroke models, Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 102, 1997.

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