Study on Laser Triggered Discharge Using a CO₂ Laser

Abstract

We are preparing a laser triggered lightning method for the winter thunderstorm. Using a - 150-J electron beam excited CO₂ laser, we obtained a laser plasma channel consisting of many plasma beads made of ionized aerosols in the atmosphere. The laser plasma channel initiates an electrical streamer and propagates a leader. We discuss experimental results on the critical conditions for initiating streamer from a laser plasma channel and for leader propagation through a laser plasma channel.