Based on experimental results of recent years, this article presents a qualitative description of a possible mechanism (termed the Mechanism) covering the main stages of lightning initiation, starting before and including the initiating event, followed by the initial electric field change (IEC), followed by the first few initial breakdown pulses (IBPs). The Mechanism assumes initiation occurs in a region of ~1 km³ with average electric field E > 0.3 MV/(m·atm), which contains, because of turbulence, numerous small “E_th volumes” of ~10⁻⁴–10⁻³ m³ with E ≥ 3 MV/(m·atm). The Mechanism allows for lightning initiation by either of two observed types of events: a high‐power, very high frequency (VHF) event such as a Narrow Bipolar Event or a weak VHF event. According to the Mechanism, both types of initiating events are caused by a group of relativistic runaway electron avalanche particles (where the initial electrons are secondary particles of an extensive air shower) passing through many E_th volumes, thereby causing the nearly simultaneous launching of many positive streamer flashes. Due to ionization‐heating instability, unusual plasma formations (UPFs) appear along the streamers' trajectories. These UPFs combine into three‐dimensional (3‐D) networks of hot plasma channels during the IEC, resulting in its observed weak current flow. The subsequent development and combination of two (or more) of these 3‐D networks of hot plasma channels then causes the first IBP. Each subsequent IBP is caused when another 3‐D network of hot plasma channels combines with the chain of networks caused by earlier IBPs.

中文翻译：

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从始发事件到初始击穿脉冲的起源和发展机理（v.2）

根据近年来的实验结果，本文对可能的机制（称为“机制”）进行了定性描述，涵盖了闪电引发的主要阶段，包括引发事件之前（包括引发事件），然后是初始电场变化（IEC），随后是最初的几个初始击穿脉冲（IBP）。机理假定发生在〜1公里的区域起始³与平均电场é  > 0.3 MV /（米·大气压），其中包含的，因为湍流的，无数的小“ é_日〜10的卷” ^-4 -10 ^{- 3}  m ³和E ≥3 MV /（m·atm）。该机制允许通过以下两种观察到的事件中的一种来引发闪电：高功率，非常高频率（VHF）事件，例如窄双极事件或弱VHF事件。根据机理，这两种类型的始发事件是由一组相对论失控引起的电子雪崩的颗粒（其中初始电子是一个广泛的风淋室的二次粒子）穿过许多Ë_第从而导致几乎同时启动许多正射流闪光灯。由于电离加热的不稳定性，在拖缆的轨迹上会出现异常的等离子体形成（UPF）。这些UPF在IEC期间合并为热等离子体通道的三维（3D）网络，导致观察到的弱电流。随后这些热等离子体通道的3D网络中的两个（或多个）网络的发展和组合会导致第一个IBP。另一个后续的IBP是由另一个3D热等离子体通道网络与较早IBP引起的网络链结合而成的。