Overview

• July’s study refines the Photoelectric Feedback Discharge model to offer the first precise quantitative conditions under which thundercloud electric fields trigger lightning.
• Field observations from ground sensors, satellites and NASA ER-2 flights aligned with model outputs of in-cloud X-rays and radio emissions prior to strikes.
• Equations and simulation codes are publicly available, enabling further atmospheric physics research worldwide.
• The framework explains terrestrial gamma-ray flashes lacking visible light or strong radio bursts by showing how compact, variable avalanches emit detectable X-rays with minimal other signals.
• Lead author Victor Pasko and graduate student Zaid Pervez validated results through comparisons with previous modeling studies and specialized intercloud discharge observations.