Abstract
This study aims to develop a new concept lidar for lightining strike prediction. In cloud-to-cloud discharges, the electromagnetic pulse rotates the polarization plane of a beam propagating beam through an ionized atmosphere due to the Faraday effect. Although this effect is small for visible light, it can be detected by a lidar system with an extinction ratio of polarization of >30 dB. In this study, the rotation of the polarization plane of a propagating beam due to the Faraday effect was detected in a high-voltage discharge experiment and verified by the numerical analysis results of the cloud-to-ground returning strike model. In the experiment, the shock wave due to the discharge was detected in addition to the rotation of the polarization plane. Based on these results, a scenario for cloud-to-cloud discharge detection by lidar measurement is proposed, and is reflected in lidar development.
