The results of experimental studies on the breakdown noble gases (argon and krypton) by terahertz radiation from Novosibirsk free electron laser (NovoFEL) are presented. For first time, thresholds were measured in a wide pressure range (0.2-1.5 bar). Previous experiments to measure THz various carried out for hundreds GHz or at atmospheric pressure. Experimental compared with calculated data us...

The world is facing problems of increased atmospheric pollution, climate change and global warming effects. Innovative technologies to identify, quantify and assess fluxes exchange of the pollutant gases between Earth’s surface and atmosphere are required. This paper proposes the development and integration of an inexpensive airborne system capable of monitoring pollutant gases collecting data ...

In this study, the electric field signatures of negative ground flashes pertinent to the Swedish thunderstorms were recorded simultaneously during the summer of 2014 using wide (up to 100 MHz) and narrow (at 3 MHz and 30 MHz as central frequencies) bandwidth antenna systems. The electric field signatures were recorded for a time duration of 250 ms. In the analysis, the whole flash was considere...

The maximum measured electric fields in thunderclouds are an order of magnitude less than the fields required for electric breakdown of the air. One explanation for lightning initiation in these low fields is that electric breakdown first occurs at the surfaces of raindrops where the ambient field is enhanced very locally due to the drop geometry . Laboratory experiments [Crabb & Latham, 1974] ...