Triggering and guiding of megavolt discharges by laser-induced filaments under rain conditions
Abstract
We demonstrate laser control of high-voltage discharges over a gap of 1.2 m filled with a dense water cloud. Self-guided filaments generated by ultrashort laser pulses are transmitted through the cloud and ionize a continuous plasma channel. The cloud typically reduces the discharge probability in given experimental conditions by 30%, but has almost no influence on the threshold required to trigger single discharge events, both in electrical field and laser energy. This result is favorable for real-scale lightning control applications.
- Publication:
-
Applied Physics Letters
- Pub Date:
- December 2004
- DOI:
- 10.1063/1.1829165
- Bibcode:
- 2004ApPhL..85.5781A
- Keywords:
-
- 52.80.Hc;
- 52.50.Jm;
- 52.80.Mg;
- 92.60.Pw;
- Glow;
- corona;
- Plasma production and heating by laser beams;
- Arcs;
- sparks;
- lightning;
- atmospheric electricity;
- Atmospheric electricity lightning