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Calculating Radio Emissions of Positive Streamer Phenomena Using 3D Simulations

Publication ,  Journal Article
Malla, H; Guo, Y; Hare, BM; Cummer, S; Malagón-Romero, A; Ebert, U; Nijdam, S; Teunissen, J
Published in: Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
October 28, 2024

We study radio emissions from positive streamers in air using 3D simulations, from which the radiated electric field is computed by solving Jefimenko’s equations. The simulations are performed at (Formula presented.) using two photoionization methods: the Helmholtz approximation for a photon density and a Monte Carlo method using discrete photons, with the latter being the most realistic. We consider cases with single streamers, streamer branching, streamers interacting with preionization and streamer-streamer encounters. We do not observe a strong VHF radio signal during or after branching, which is confirmed by lab experiments. This indicates that the current inside a streamer discharge evolves approximately continuously during branching. On the other hand, stochastic fluctuations in streamer propagation due to Monte Carlo photoionization lead to more radio emission being emitted at frequencies of 100 MHz and above. Another process that leads to such high-frequency emission is the interaction of a streamer with a weakly preionized region, which can be present due to a previous discharge. In agreement with previous work, we observe the strongest and highest-frequency emission from streamer encounters. The amount of total energy that is radiated seems to depend primarily on the background electric field, and less on the particular streamer evolution. Finally, we present approximations for the maximal current along a streamer channel and a fit formula for a streamer's current moment.

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Published In

Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres

DOI

EISSN

2169-8996

ISSN

2169-897X

Publication Date

October 28, 2024

Volume

129

Issue

20

Related Subject Headings

  • 3702 Climate change science
  • 3701 Atmospheric sciences
  • 0406 Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience
  • 0401 Atmospheric Sciences
 

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Malla, H., Guo, Y., Hare, B. M., Cummer, S., Malagón-Romero, A., Ebert, U., … Teunissen, J. (2024). Calculating Radio Emissions of Positive Streamer Phenomena Using 3D Simulations. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 129(20). https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JD041385
Malla, H., Y. Guo, B. M. Hare, S. Cummer, A. Malagón-Romero, U. Ebert, S. Nijdam, and J. Teunissen. “Calculating Radio Emissions of Positive Streamer Phenomena Using 3D Simulations.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 129, no. 20 (October 28, 2024). https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JD041385.
Malla H, Guo Y, Hare BM, Cummer S, Malagón-Romero A, Ebert U, et al. Calculating Radio Emissions of Positive Streamer Phenomena Using 3D Simulations. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. 2024 Oct 28;129(20).
Malla, H., et al. “Calculating Radio Emissions of Positive Streamer Phenomena Using 3D Simulations.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, vol. 129, no. 20, Oct. 2024. Scopus, doi:10.1029/2024JD041385.
Malla H, Guo Y, Hare BM, Cummer S, Malagón-Romero A, Ebert U, Nijdam S, Teunissen J. Calculating Radio Emissions of Positive Streamer Phenomena Using 3D Simulations. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. 2024 Oct 28;129(20).

Published In

Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres

DOI

EISSN

2169-8996

ISSN

2169-897X

Publication Date

October 28, 2024

Volume

129

Issue

20

Related Subject Headings

  • 3702 Climate change science
  • 3701 Atmospheric sciences
  • 0406 Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience
  • 0401 Atmospheric Sciences