Articles | Volume 32, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-32-107-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-32-107-2025
Research article
 | 
28 Apr 2025
Research article |  | 28 Apr 2025

Negative differential resistance, instability, and critical transition in lightning leader

Xueqiang Gou, Chao Xin, Liwen Xu, Ping Yuan, Yijun Zhang, and Mingli Chen

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Cited articles

Agop, M., Nica, P., Niculescu, O., and Dimitriu, D.-G.: Experimental and Theoretical Investigations of the Negative Differential Resistance in a Discharge, Plasma, 81, 064502, https://doi.org/10.1143/JPSJ.81.064502, 2012. 
Andreev, A. G., Bazelyan, E. M., Bulatov, M. U., Kuzhekin, I. P., Makalsky, L. M., Sukharevskij, D. I., and Syssoev, V. S.: Experimental study of the positive leader velocity as a function of the current in the initial and final-jump phases of a spark discharge, Plasma Phys. Rep., 34, 609–615, https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063780X0807009X, 2008. 
Bazelyan, E., Sysoev, V., and Andreev, M.: Numerical simulations of spark channels propagating along the ground surface: Comparison with high-current experiment, Plasma Phys. Rep., 35, 702–707, https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063780X0908011X, 2009. 
Bazelyan, E. M. and Raizer, Y. P.: Lightning Physics and Lightning Protection. IOP Publishing, Bristol, 27–221, https://doi.org/10.1201/9780367801533, 2000. 
Bazelyan, E. M., Aleksandrov, N. L., Raizer, Y. P., and Konchakov, A. M.: The effect of air density on atmospheric electric fields required for lightning initiation from a long airborne object, Atmos. Res., 86, 126–138, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2007.03.007, 2007. 
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Short summary

We investigate the stability characteristics of lightning discharge channels through their differential resistance properties. Our analysis reveals that lightning channels exhibit bistable behavior, transitioning between low- and high-conductivity states depending on channel length and electric-field conditions. This work provides new insights into lightning channel dynamics and could contribute to improved lightning protection strategies.

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