Study of radio emission from a long spark discharge.

The general characteristics of radio emission from natural lightning discharges have been studied quite well. A detailed study of the radio emission of lightning discharges is associated with certain difficulties arising from the random nature of such events. Much more convenient and informative is the study of radio emission from lightning models - long spark discharges obtained in laboratory experiments. In this case, it is possible to use high-speed photo and video shooting, linking measurements to different stages of the discharge - streamer, leader, through current, return stroke. At the Institute of Applied Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, such research is carried out on spark discharges of a meter range in length, created using a Marx generator with a voltage of more than 1 MV. During the work it used the interference protection of measuring systems with autonomous power supply and fiber-optic lines for transmitting data and synchronization signals. The features of radio emission from a long spark are considered and conclusions are formulated on the applicability of laboratory modeling results to studies of the characteristics of natural lightning discharges.