Publications related to An analysis of the initiation of upward flashes from tall towers with particular reference to Gaisberg and Säntis Towers

Related publications (34)

Direct observations of X-rays produced by upward positive lightning

Farhad Rachidi-Haeri, Marcos Rubinstein, Antonio Sunjerga, Thomas Chaumont

X-rays have been observed in natural downward cloud-to-ground lightning for over 20 years and in rocket-triggered lightning for slightly less. In both cases, this energetic radiation has been detected during the stepped and dart leader phases of downward n ...

Nature Publishing Group2024

Modeling lightning strikes to tall towers

Farhad Rachidi-Haeri, Marcos Rubinstein

In this chapter, we present a review of recent progress in the modeling of lightning strikes to tall structures. Since some tall structures are struck by lightning several tens of times per year, they can be used as ground-truth to measure and calibrate th ...

IET2023

Lightning interaction with the ionosphere

Farhad Rachidi-Haeri, Marcos Rubinstein

Lightning discharges, including cloud-to-ground (CG) and intracloud (IC) lightning, are known to emit electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) in a wide frequency band ranging from few Hz up to hundreds MHz [1]. During the breakdown and ionization processes (mostly f ...

IET2023

Computation of the attenuation function of the lightning return-stroke current from electromagnetic fields measured in a short-duration time-window — Part II: Numerical implementation

Farhad Rachidi-Haeri, Marcos Rubinstein

In the present paper, we show, by means of numerical simulations, that electromagnetic field data obtained from the radiation of a return-stroke lightning discharge and measured over a short-duration time-window can be exploited to reconstruct the attenuat ...

Elsevier2023

Laser-guided lightning

Farhad Rachidi-Haeri, Marcos Rubinstein, Antonio Sunjerga, Amirhossein Mostajabi

Lightning discharges between charged clouds and the Earth’s surface are responsible for considerable damages and casualties. It is therefore important to develop better protection methods in addition to the traditional Franklin rod. Here we present the fir ...

Nature Publishing Group2023

Tower-foot grounding model for EMT programs based on transmission line theory and Marti's model

Rafael Silva Alipio

This paper proposes a tower-foot grounding system model compatible with EMT programs which might be useful for the simulation of lightning transients in overhead lines. The proposed model is based on the solution of the telegrapher's equations and the appl ...

Elsevier2023

Lightning Nowcasting Using Solely Lightning Data

Farhad Rachidi-Haeri, Marcos Rubinstein, Amirhossein Mostajabi, Seyed Mohammad Ehsan Mansouri Tehrani

Lightning is directly or indirectly responsible for significant human casualties and property damage worldwide. A timely prediction of its occurrence can enable authorities and the public to take necessary precautionary actions resulting in diminishing the ...

MDPI2023

Laser-guided lightning using kHz filamentation at 1030 nm

Farhad Rachidi-Haeri, Marcos Rubinstein, Antonio Sunjerga, Amirhossein Mostajabi

Controlling lightning is a long-time dream of mankind. Along with the rapid evolution of laser technologies, the idea to develop lightning protection based on filamentation of high-power ultrashort-pulse lasers emerged in the 1990s [1]. The goal of the Las ...

2023

Ionospheric Variations Induced by Thunderstorms in the Central Region of Argentina during the RELAMPAGO–CACTI Campaign

Farhad Rachidi-Haeri, Marcos Rubinstein

The ionosphere can be perturbed by solar and geomagnetic activity, earthquakes, thunderstorms, etc. In particular, electromagnetic pulses produced by thunderstorms can generate wave structures in the ionospheric plasma, which are known as atmospheric gravi ...

2023

Comment on “Straight lightning as a signature of macroscopic dark matter”

Farhad Rachidi-Haeri, Marcos Rubinstein

In the discussed paper [N. Starkman, H. Winch, J. S. Sidhu, and G. Starkman, Straight lightning as a signature of macroscopic dark matter, Phys. Rev. D 103, 063024 (2021)], the authors have made several assumptions and statements concerning the initiation ...

2022

The Geometry and Charge of the Streamer Bursts Generated by Lightning Rods under the Influence of High Electric Fields

Farhad Rachidi-Haeri, Marcos Rubinstein

The streamer bursts generated during the initiation and propagation of leaders play an important role in the creation and maintenance of hot discharge channels in air. The most important parameters related to streamer bursts in this respect are the length ...

2022

On the Use of Benford’s Law to Assess the Quality of the Data Provided by Lightning Locating Systems

Farhad Rachidi-Haeri, Marcos Rubinstein, Amirhossein Mostajabi, Seyed Mohammad Ehsan Mansouri Tehrani

Lightning causes significant damage and casualties globally by directly striking humans and livestock, by igniting forest fires, and by inducing electrical surges in electronic infrastructure, airplanes, rockets, etc. Monitoring the evolution of thundersto ...

2022

The application of the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) technique to lightning studies

Farhad Rachidi-Haeri, Marcos Rubinstein

We have seen in this chapter that the FDTD method for solving Maxwell's equations is accurate and versatile in a very wide variety of applications related to lightning. One can analyze the lightning electromagnetic field propagation over distances ranging ...

IET2022

A Self-Consistent Return Stroke Model That Includes the Effect of the Ground Conductivity at the Strike Point

Farhad Rachidi-Haeri, Marcos Rubinstein

A current generation type return stroke model which can take into account the possible modifications of the return stroke properties by the soil conductivity at the strike point of the lightning flash is introduced. The model is also capable of incorporati ...

2022

Lightning to tall structures: Characterization, Modeling and Protection

Antonio Sunjerga

Lightning physics is highly multidisciplinary, involving areas such as plasma physics, electrical engineering, meteorology, thermodynamics and particle physics. Upward lightning is a special type of lightning initiated from tall structures that has attract ...

EPFL2021

On the Initiation of Upward Negative Lightning by Nearby Lightning Activity: An Analytical Approach

Marcos Rubinstein, Antonio Sunjerga

Upward lightning occurs generally from tall structures. The mechanism of the initiation of upward lightning is not yet fully understood. Upward lightning can be classified into two categories based on either the absence or the presence of other lightning a ...

2021

Incidence of Upward Lightning Triggered by Nearby Lightning: A Monte Carlo Simulation

Farhad Rachidi-Haeri, Marcos Rubinstein, Antonio Sunjerga

Upward lightning is the dominant type of lightning discharge to tall structures. It has been observed that a significant number of these upward flashes are initiated by nearby lightning activity. The aim of this study is to estimate the incidence of upward ...

2021

The laser lightning rod project

Farhad Rachidi-Haeri, Marcos Rubinstein, Mohammad Azadifar, Antonio Sunjerga, Amirhossein Mostajabi

Lightning is highly destructive due to its high power density and unpredictable character. Directing lightning away would allow to protect sensitive sites from its direct and indirect impacts (electromagnetic perturbations). Up to now, lasers have been una ...

EDP Sciences2021

Augmenting the performance of impoverished sensor networks using machine learning and time reversal: Application to lightning nowcasting and location

Amirhossein Mostajabi

Lightning is formed in the atmosphere through the combination of intricate dynamic and microphysical processes. Mainly due to this complexity, attempts to solve the important problem of lightning prediction have generally failed to yield accurate results. ...

EPFL2021

Bidirectional Recoil Leaders in Upward Lightning Flashes Observed at the Säntis Tower

Farhad Rachidi-Haeri, Marcos Rubinstein, Mohammad Azadifar, Antonio Sunjerga, Amirhossein Mostajabi

We report the observation of three negative upward flashes recorded by a high-speed camera at the Säntis Tower during the Summer of 2019. The camera was operating at 10,000 fps and an exposure time of 99 μs. Simultaneous measurements of the lightning curre ...

2021