Model experiments of laser-triggered lightning

Experiments to guide electric discharges with a chain of apparently discrete air-breakdown plasmas (plasma channel) produced by a laser were carried out. The electric discharge was guided up to 2m with a high power CO2 laser focused by a 10-m focal length mirror. Voltage was applied at selected delay times tau following laser radiation. The relations between 50% flashover voltage of a gap filled with laser-produced plasmas and delay times tau, between the guided length and the peak of the applied voltage, were obtained experimentally. The effects of the polarity of an applied voltage and the position of the plasma channel on flashover voltage are described. Development characteristics of the guided discharge were also investigated.