Microwave diagnostics of pulsed atmospheric discharge with electrolytic electrode and long‐lived luminous formation in its afterglow

Abstract The Gatchina discharge phenomenon holds significant promise as a laboratory model for simulating ball lightning. However, crucial aspects concerning the plasma components of the resulting afterglow remain unresolved. Notably, the measurement of the electron density, a critical parameter, ha...

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Main Authors: Shixin Zhao, Xingbao Lyu, Aleksandr Astafiev, Chengxun Yuan, Lin Miao, Jingfeng Yao, Ying Wang, Anatoly Kudryavtsev, Aleksandr Chirtsov, Gennadii Shabanov, Zhongxiang Zhou
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-02-01
Series:High Voltage
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1049/hve2.12371
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author Shixin Zhao
Xingbao Lyu
Aleksandr Astafiev
Chengxun Yuan
Lin Miao
Jingfeng Yao
Ying Wang
Anatoly Kudryavtsev
Aleksandr Chirtsov
Gennadii Shabanov
Zhongxiang Zhou
author_facet Shixin Zhao
Xingbao Lyu
Aleksandr Astafiev
Chengxun Yuan
Lin Miao
Jingfeng Yao
Ying Wang
Anatoly Kudryavtsev
Aleksandr Chirtsov
Gennadii Shabanov
Zhongxiang Zhou
author_sort Shixin Zhao
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The Gatchina discharge phenomenon holds significant promise as a laboratory model for simulating ball lightning. However, crucial aspects concerning the plasma components of the resulting afterglow remain unresolved. Notably, the measurement of the electron density, a critical parameter, has not been fully achieved thus far. In this study, microwave diagnostics and video recording were employed during a pulsed Gatchina discharge, along with synchronous measurement of discharge current and voltage. Distinct antennas were positioned at different heights to enable separate diagnosis of the discharge and the ensuing long‐lived afterglow. The findings revealed that during the active phase of the Gatchina discharge, the plasma density was substantial enough to cause reflection of an electromagnetic wave with a frequency of 20 GHz from this highly conductive object. In the afterglow, the signal experienced only a moderate weakening of 10–20 percent, facilitating the determination of the time dependence of average electron density during the afterglow's passage between the two antennas. These measurements verified the unusually slow plasma decay in the afterglow of the Gatchina discharge, suggesting the potential significance of chemi‐ionisation processes involving long‐lived (metastable) particles.
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spelling doaj.art-01830a68fbbc4be58f3bc86ac6dc775d2024-02-27T13:33:16ZengWileyHigh Voltage2397-72642024-02-019112713610.1049/hve2.12371Microwave diagnostics of pulsed atmospheric discharge with electrolytic electrode and long‐lived luminous formation in its afterglowShixin Zhao0Xingbao Lyu1Aleksandr Astafiev2Chengxun Yuan3Lin Miao4Jingfeng Yao5Ying Wang6Anatoly Kudryavtsev7Aleksandr Chirtsov8Gennadii Shabanov9Zhongxiang Zhou10School of Physics, Harbin Institute of Technology Harbin ChinaSchool of Physics, Harbin Institute of Technology Harbin ChinaSchool of Physics, Harbin Institute of Technology Harbin ChinaSchool of Physics, Harbin Institute of Technology Harbin ChinaSchool of Physics, Harbin Institute of Technology Harbin ChinaSchool of Physics, Harbin Institute of Technology Harbin ChinaSchool of Physics, Harbin Institute of Technology Harbin ChinaSchool of Physics, Harbin Institute of Technology Harbin ChinaPhysics Department Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University “LETI” St. Petersburg RussiaKonstantinov Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute” Gatchina RussiaSchool of Physics, Harbin Institute of Technology Harbin ChinaAbstract The Gatchina discharge phenomenon holds significant promise as a laboratory model for simulating ball lightning. However, crucial aspects concerning the plasma components of the resulting afterglow remain unresolved. Notably, the measurement of the electron density, a critical parameter, has not been fully achieved thus far. In this study, microwave diagnostics and video recording were employed during a pulsed Gatchina discharge, along with synchronous measurement of discharge current and voltage. Distinct antennas were positioned at different heights to enable separate diagnosis of the discharge and the ensuing long‐lived afterglow. The findings revealed that during the active phase of the Gatchina discharge, the plasma density was substantial enough to cause reflection of an electromagnetic wave with a frequency of 20 GHz from this highly conductive object. In the afterglow, the signal experienced only a moderate weakening of 10–20 percent, facilitating the determination of the time dependence of average electron density during the afterglow's passage between the two antennas. These measurements verified the unusually slow plasma decay in the afterglow of the Gatchina discharge, suggesting the potential significance of chemi‐ionisation processes involving long‐lived (metastable) particles.https://doi.org/10.1049/hve2.12371
spellingShingle Shixin Zhao
Xingbao Lyu
Aleksandr Astafiev
Chengxun Yuan
Lin Miao
Jingfeng Yao
Ying Wang
Anatoly Kudryavtsev
Aleksandr Chirtsov
Gennadii Shabanov
Zhongxiang Zhou
Microwave diagnostics of pulsed atmospheric discharge with electrolytic electrode and long‐lived luminous formation in its afterglow
High Voltage
title Microwave diagnostics of pulsed atmospheric discharge with electrolytic electrode and long‐lived luminous formation in its afterglow
title_full Microwave diagnostics of pulsed atmospheric discharge with electrolytic electrode and long‐lived luminous formation in its afterglow
title_fullStr Microwave diagnostics of pulsed atmospheric discharge with electrolytic electrode and long‐lived luminous formation in its afterglow
title_full_unstemmed Microwave diagnostics of pulsed atmospheric discharge with electrolytic electrode and long‐lived luminous formation in its afterglow
title_short Microwave diagnostics of pulsed atmospheric discharge with electrolytic electrode and long‐lived luminous formation in its afterglow
title_sort microwave diagnostics of pulsed atmospheric discharge with electrolytic electrode and long lived luminous formation in its afterglow
url https://doi.org/10.1049/hve2.12371
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