Abstract
This paper describes the experiment triggering and guiding discharge by weak ionized channel produced by XeCl excimer laser as fundamental study for Laser Triggering of Lightning. In this experiment it was shown that XeCl excimer laser can make weak ionized channel on its light path and that CO2 laser can't make it. This weak ionized channel can guide discharge path. In order to guide discharge path, electron density required to be higher than 1.1×1016m-3. This is about only 0.05% of the density required for triggering of discharge by an air breakdown plasma.
By using both the weak ionized channel produced by XeCl excimer laser and the air breakdown plasma heated by CO2 laser, the flashover voltage is lowered and the guided length of discharge becomes longer than those of using only XeCl excimer laser. Combining air breakdown plasma and weak ionized channel by using different wavelength laser beams, for example UV laser and IR laser, will work effective for plasma formation, triggering of lightning and guiding a lightning path.
