An investigation of the reconfiguration of the electric field in the stratosphere following a lightning event

In recent papers Baginski and Hodel (1994) and Baginski and Jarriel (1994) discussed some peculiarities in the late-time electric field and Maxwell current density signatures following a lightning event. In the present paper we extend the analysis to investigate the temporal relationship between the vertical and horizontal electric field in the stratosphere (altitudes 30–50 km) and consider how a quasi-planar region can be defined by introducing the angular orientation ( θ = tan −1 ( E z E r ) ) between the respective field components. The geometry, constitutive parameters and assumptions used in the earlier modeling are employed here also. Special attention is given to two dimensional graphical representations of the behavior of the electric field that clearly illustrate that a relatively thin segregated region can be defined between a time-varying upper and lower region were the maximum rate of change of the orientation of the field occurs at z p (t) = h s log( τ(z) t ) . The research reinforces the model presented by Greifinger and Greifinger. An empirical model is also derived from previous research that is in good overall agreement with the simulations.