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From: merrill@raja.DEC (Rick - Font Mgr. for Hardcopy Engineering)
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: lightening bursts
Message-ID: <3305@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 26-Jul-85 10:02:12 EDT
Article-I.D.: decwrl.3305
Posted: Fri Jul 26 10:02:12 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 28-Jul-85 02:45:36 EDT
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Organization: DEC Engineering Network
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Once one lightining strike has ionized the air it leaves a path of lesser
resistance than existed before.  That alone should make successive strikes
more probable until the available potential has diminished.  Then air 
turbulence eliminates the ionized path and the max potential must rebuild.

This does not explain why paths OTHER than the first one appear to be part
of the cluster of strikes that follow the first one, a phenomena I have
observed myself (from the ground).   My suggestion is that there is 
leakage current moving through the air that preceeds the strike and that
they are ALL about ready to produce stike paths.  Which one goes first is
therefore random and the burst is NOT "caused by" the first one.

Rick Merrill						617-493-3751