Diaxiom Technologies

Lightning is one of nature's most powerful demonstrations of the natural energy system of the planet.  Lightning and thunder has mystified and frightened humankind since the dawn of human existence.  To appreciate the basic function of lightning, you must first understand how science currently understands it, and what science does not understand about it.  Understanding what is not known is as important as understanding what is known.  The link provided above will take you through a step-by-step examination of lightning and all of the different processes and facets of a thunderstorm as currently viewed by science. 

As an overview of the lightning process, in general, one form of lightning, inter-cloud lightning, will be explained.  Inter-cloud lightning occurs ten times more often than any other form of lightning and is very important to the overall process as it drives the negative ion reforming process in the storm.  

Atmospheric Science has been looking for the large, charged particle mass in thunderstorms for years and has never been able to measure it.  The reason this cannot be measured is because the ionization only happens for a pico second in time, just after the negative ion reforming process takes place, as will be outlined below.   

• * Lightning propagates as a progressive plasma.   The first step in this process is the development of small, oppositely charged areas in the cloud, shown above in the gray circles, with negative charge at one end and positive charge at the other.  These regions can be only millimeters apart or several kilometers apart.  The distance is only relative to the potential electrical difference created between the charged regions.
• * Electrons in the negative region are drawn electrostatically to the closest positive point in the general direction of the main positive region of the cloud, resulting in electrical breakdown of the air in this ion-rich environment (Step #1).
• * As the electrons move, a plasma channel forms in their wake as other electrons move down the electron channel.  This process causes a great deal of heat to occur and hail to melt rapidly, initiating the sulfate reforming process discussed earlier, and more O-2 and SO3 to form as a result of the heat in the reforming process.
• * As this occurs the electrons leave the O-2 and add to the forming plasma and this is how we eventually end-up with 100's of thousands of volts.  This process is similar to a Townsend Discharge in its effects.
• * At this point the electrons move to the next positive point and if there are two of equal potential, the electrons will branch into two arms or leaders (Step #2).
•  * If, as this occurs, there is no positive potential available, the leader will stop as seen at Step #4.   However, in Step #3 and #4 these leaders still produce more O-2 and electrons in the process, building the overall negative potential.
• * This process continues until all the positive potential is satisfied with electrons.
• * This process applies to all lightning plasmas, except "ball lightning" which is a special case that will be explained separately.
• * Once the lightning leader reaches the positive region at the far end, or the ground, the plasma acts like a zero-resistance wire, conducting all the electrons from the cloud to the positive potential region (ground).  Multiple discharges can occur at this stage because with each discharge, more O-2 and electrons are produced.  It is the subsequent melting of hail that causes this to occur.  A plasma is a very greedy conductor and moves electrons at near the speed of light, causing a coronal discharge. 
• * This is the reason that science currently cannot detect a charge large enough to cause lightning in a thunderstorm - because it is only present for a very short duration as the lightning discharge is occurring.  It isn't present after the positive ions are satisfied with new electrons. 
• * One other reason we see lightning as a steady stream is because of a phenomenon called the persistence of vision, similar to shining a light in your eye and you continue to see the light after it has been turned off.

Sulfate Reforming Process - Review

• * Sulfur dioxide combines in the atmosphere to form sulfur trioxide (SO3), a very volatile chemical compound.
• * Sulfur trioxide, because of its chemical nature, attracts water to it in the atmosphere.
• * These two chemicals create highly energized sulfuric acid in a mist form and this process generates heat from the reaction of the two chemicals, causing them to rise in the atmosphere.
• * It has been shown scientifically, that as sulfuric acid cools in the presence of a magnetic field towards -40 degrees Celsius, it will ionize into the negative ion sulfate and two hydrogen ions 2 H+ (or two protons).  In a storm, it is the earth's own magnetic field and rapid cooling that causes this to occur.
• * The created sulfate, as it cools, becomes a CCN or Cloud Condensing Nuclei, and as supercooled water encounters and attaches to it, it will form an ice particle.  This is when we begin to see it as a cloud.  Until this point, it is invisible to the naked eye.
• * The ice around the sulfate forms an insulating barrier to the negative sulfate contained inside it.  This process isolates the electrical charge in the thunderstorm.
• * As this particle circulates in the upper part of the storm, the ice particle collects more and more moisture, becoming larger and larger until it forms hail.
• * The H+ discussed earlier is the lightest atom known to science and it circulates in the upper, rear section of the storm as it attempts to escape the storm cloud.
• * When the ice particle or hail gets large enough it will begin to fall to the lower sections of the storm.  As it does, it warms and melts from the heat generated by inter-cloud lightning and the temperature of the atmosphere.
• * The intense heat of the lightning converts the sulfate particle into sulfur trioxide again and the ion O-2.
• * As the 2H+ and the O-2 buildup in the storm, there is the potential for more lightning and this is the process that causes charge separation in a thunderstorm.  The ice or hail acts to carry the charged particle to the lower sections of the cloud.
• * Once enough of a potential difference in electrical charge exists the electrons from the O-2 will move towards the H+.  This is what causes the step ledders in a lightning bolt to occur.  Once a lightning channel forms, all the electrons move until they are all used up within a given region of the storm.
• * As this process occurs, the remaining O bonds with another O and becomes O2 or the oxygen we breath.  The H+ joins with H+ to become H2  which escapes from the cloud top into the upper atmosphere.
• * This process continues as long as there is enough water and sulfate in the system.  If the system is not fed with more and more water and sulfur, it will dissipate.  If sulfur and moisture levels increase, so will the storm.  This is a very important point to remember.
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     2 SO2 + O2 + Heat  =  2 SO3

     SO3 + H2O    =    H2SO4 + Heat 

     H2SO4 + Cooling + Electromagnetic Promoters    =     2H+  and  SO4-2

     SO4-2 + heat = SO3 + O-2  

    (once enough ionized gas builds up electrons will move)

    X amount of O-2   +  X amount  2H+  = X amount of  (2-e)  electrons