Abstract:
The microwave diagnostics of discharges occurring in an artificial cloud of charged water droplets created in an open air simulating the environment of thunderclouds is implemented. An artificial cloud with a droplet size of about 1 microns is opaque in the visible range, so intra-cloud discharges are not available for investigation by traditional methods in the spark discharge physics based on the registration of visible discharge radiation. Microwaves pass through such a cloud without noticeable attenuation, they interact only with the plasma of discharges occurring in the cloud. The probing microwave radiation had a wavelength of 8 mm. The attenuation of microwaves passed through the cloud was measured with temporary resolution of about 10 ns. The temporal characteristics of intra- cloud discharges were investigated.
