Channel heating in return-stroke lightning

A computer code for calculating radiation flow and hydrodynamic motion has been used to investigate the radial-temperature and time-temperature profiles of an air channel heated by a single return stroke of lightning. The investigation used a novel model in which input heat releases were computed from calculated electrical conductances of channel zones and from the experimentally determined information on the electrical current in a single return stroke. Although no experimental information on profiles was available for comparison, apparently realistic temperature profiles of the lightning channel were deduced. However, the magnitudes of the theoretical channel temperature and of its variation with time are in good agreement with experimental observations. The calculated total energy dissipation per unit length of channel is also in fair agreement with experimental estimates.