Lightning leader laboratory simulation by means of rectilinear surface discharges

Abstract
Gliding discharges over dielectric slabs can be made quasirectilinear by using a correctly shaped guiding electrode located behind the slab. Such guided discharges are characterized by the accessibility of their parameters to various diagnostic techniques, such as velocity, current, and voltage measurements, spectroscopy, and fast photography. In this paper the behavior of negative gliding-surface discharges is studied with a view of understanding the behavior of the lightning leader. Theoretical predictions obtained by computation from a simplified model are compared with experimental data, and the result of this comparison is discussed.