Electromagnetic radiation field of an electron avalanche

Article history: Received 4 February 2011 Received in revised form 1 June 2011 Accepted 2 June 2011 Electron avalanches are the main constituent of electrical discharges in the atmosphere. However, the electromagnetic radiation field generated by a single electron avalanche growing in different field configurations has not yet been evaluated in the literature. In this paper, the electromagnetic radiation fields created by electron avalanches were evaluated for electric fields in pointed, co-axial and spherical geometries. The results show that the radiation field has a duration of approximately 1–2 ns, with a rise time in the range of 0.25 ns. Thewave-shape takes the form of an initial peak followed by an overshoot in the opposite direction. The electromagnetic spectrum generated by the avalanches has a peak around 10 Hz. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.