MIEM HSE Scientists Come Closer to Unraveling the Mystery of Cloud Lightning Movement
At the general meeting of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), held on April 23, research by Alexander Kostinskiy, Vladimir Rakov and Mikhail Andreev conducted in collaboration with their colleagues from academic institutes on the modeling and development of lightning was acknowledged as one of the most significant Russian scientific achievement in 2018.
At the Russian Academy of Science’s general meeting held on April 23, Academy President Alexander Sergeev presented a report of the major breakthroughs in Russian science. He particularly noted the findings of Alexander Kostinskiy, Deputy Director of HSE Tikhonov Moscow Institute of Electronics and Mathematics (MIEM HSE), Vladimir Rakov, Professor of the University of Florida and Leading Research Fellow of MIEM HSE, and Mikhail Andreev, Engineer of the Faculty of Physics, who, in collaboration with colleagues from the RAS Institute of Applied Physics, the VNIITF High-Voltage Center, and the Chinese Academy of Meteorology, conducted a series of studies on the development of lightning leaders. (The research is published in the following articles: Kostinskiy et al., 2018, JGR Atmospheres, v.123, 10* and Rakov et, al. 2018, IEEJ, v.138, 5**).
As the President of the Russian Academy of Sciences noted, lightning has long been an area of intense inquiry, but since it is extremely difficult to study in natural conditions, studies thus far have not been able to provide a detailed picture of the development of lightning leader steps. Studying a long spark with the aid of high-voltage generators, however, can give an idea.
It is known that, in nature, 90% of lightning is negative, that is, it is borne out of predominantly negatively charged parts of thunderclouds. High-speed cameras can show how hot negatively charged plasma channels, which are called negative leaders, move of clouds and move in abrupt steps to the ground. When a negative leader comes close to the ground, it initiates positive ascending leaders, which ascend towards it from high structures and trees. When a descending negative leader collides with an ascending positive leader, a single bright channel emerges between the cloud and the earth—this is what we know as a lightning bolt. From this collision, a wave of potential shoots upward and downward. The lightning channel heats up to 40 thousand degrees Celsius, rapidly expands and causes thunder.
But 10% of the discharges that reach the ground are positive, and they are more dangerous, since they cause a longer discharge with a higher energy input, and lightning rods are not able to provide very good protection against them. Most scientists believed that the positive lightning leaders move continuously or in very small steps, as opposed to the large steps of negative leaders.
When modeling lightning flashes on a high-voltage (6 MV) stand, researchers for the first time were able to obtain detailed images with high spatial resolution of the abrupt steps of positive leaders and negative leaders with nanosecond exposure. Consequently, a new hypothesis was formed about the formation of abrupt steps of positive leaders in a corona streamer burst, and X-ray fluxes from this area were measured.
These results allow scientists to interpret with much more accuracy the results of radio measurements of leading lightning channel plasma movements at high altitudes, which cannot be recorded with high-speed cameras, and thus better understand the nature of lightning propagation in storm clouds.
* Kostinskiy, A.Yu., V. S. Syssoev, N. A. Bogatov, E. A. Mareev, M. G. Andreev, M. U. Bulatov, D. I. Sukharevsky, and Rakov V. Abrupt Elongation (Stepping) of Negative and Positive Leaders Culminating in an Intense Corona Streamer Burst: Observations in Long Sparks and Implications for Lightning, Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres, 2018, vol. 123. No. 10. P. 5360-5375, doi: 10.1029/2017JD027997
** Rakov, V. A., E. A. Mareev, M. D. Tran, Y. Zhu, N. A. Bogatov, A. Yu. Kostinskiy, V. S. Syssoev, W. Lyu. High-Speed Optical Imaging of Lightning and Sparks: Some Recent Results, IEEJ Transactions on Power and Energy. 2018, vol.138, no.5, pp.321-326, doi: 10.1541/ieejpes.138.321
Mikhail Andreev
Engineer at the Faculty of Physics
Alexander Kostinskiy
Deputy Director of HSE Tikhonov Moscow Institute of Electronics and Mathematics (MIEM HSE)
Vladimir Rakov
Leading Research Fellow at HSE Tikhonov Moscow Institute of Electronics and Mathematics (MIEM HSE)
See also:
Russian Physicists Determine Indices Enabling Prediction of Laser Behaviour
Russian scientists, including researchers at HSE University, examined the features of fibre laser generation and identified universal critical indices for calculating their characteristics and operating regimes. The study findings will help predict and optimise laser parameters for high-speed communication systems, spectroscopy, and other areas of optical technology. The paper has been published in Optics & Laser Technology.
HSE Scientists Have Developed a New Model of Electric Double Layer
This new model accounts for a wide range of ion-electrode interactions and predicts a device's ability to store electric charge. The model's theoretical predictions align with the experimental results. Data on the behaviour of the electric double layer (EDL) can aid in the development of more efficient supercapacitors for portable electronics and electric vehicles. The study has been published in ChemPhysChem.
HSE Scientist Optimises Solution of Hydrodynamics Problems
Roman Gaydukov, Associate Professor at the MIEM HSE School of Applied Mathematics, has modelled the fluid flow around a rotating disk with small surface irregularities. His solution allows for predicting fluid flow behaviour without the need for powerful supercomputers. The results have been published in Russian Journal of Mathematical Physics.
Physicists from Russia and Brazil Unveil Mystery behind Complex Superconductor Patterns
Scientists at HSE MIEM and MIPT have demonstrated that highly complex spatial structures, similar to the intricate patterns found in nature, can emerge in superconductors. Mathematically, these patterns are described using the Ginzburg–Landau equation at a specific combination of parameters known as the Bogomolny point. The paper has been published in the Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter.
Adhesive Tape Helps Create Innovative THz Photodetector
An international team of researchers, including scientists at HSE University and Moscow Pedagogical State University (MPGU), has developed a novel photodetector composed of a thin superconducting film, capable of detecting weak terahertz (THz) radiation. This discovery holds promise for studying objects in space, developing wireless broadband communication systems, and making advancements in spectroscopy. The study has been published in Nano Letters.
Operation of Cellular Networks Found Similar to Bacteria Growth in Petri Dish
Scientists at the HSE Laboratory for Computational Physics have developed a new model for analysing communication networks that can significantly enhance the speed of mobile communications. To achieve this, the researchers used computational physics methods and phase transition models. It turns out that the functioning of cellular networks is in many ways similar to the growth of surfaces in physics. The study was performed using the HPC cHARISMa cluster at HSE University. The study findings have been published in Frontiers in Physics.
The Saudi Arabian National Team, Medal Winners at the International Physics Olympiad, Trained at HSE University
At the recent International Physics Olympiad (IPhO 2024) in Iran, students from Saudi Arabia achieved the best results in their country's history, winning one silver and three bronze medals. The team from the Kingdom made their first visit to Russia to receive their final training at the HSE Faculty of Physics.
'I've Always Been Keen to Engage in Experiments and Operate Scientific Instruments'
During his early years at university, physicist Ivan Makhov worried that he might be dismissed, but today he is heading a study supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation. In this interview with the HSE Young Scientists project, he shares his work experience using a closed-loop cryostat, his dream of conversing with Einstein, and favourite location in his hometown of St Petersburg.
‘Two Interdisciplinary Research Centres Can Create New Synergy between Themselves’
In mid-June 2024, HSE University and the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna held a joint working meeting. This meeting was the first under an agreement signed by the research centres in 2024, when HSE University and JINR agreed to jointly participate in experiments of the NICA megascience project, as well as interact in the field of theoretical and mathematical physics, information technology, and personnel training. These issues were the focus of the first working meeting. Details are in the JINR report.
‘I Aspire to Make a Contribution Comparable to Prometheus' Gift to Humanity'
Egor Sedov initially planned to pursue a career in programming but instead became captivated by experimental physics. In this interview with the HSE Young Scientists project, he spoke about the quantum effect and the quantum standard, a scientist's letter from the future, and the magnetic levitation of a frog.