Lightning: Physics and Effects

by Vladimir A. Rakov, Martin A. Uman

Overview

Lightning: Physics and Effects is the first book that covers essentially all aspects of lightning, including lightning physics, lightning protection and the interaction of lightning with a variety of objects and systems as well as with the environment. It is written in a style that will be accessible to the technical non-expert and is addressed to anyone interested in lightning and its effects. This will include physicists, engineers working in the power, communications, computer and aviation industries, meteorologists, atmospheric chemists, foresters, ecologists, physicians working in the area of electrical trauma and architects. This comprehensive reference volume contains over 300 illustrations, 70 tables containing quantitative information and a bibliography of more than 6000 references.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781107263833
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	01/08/2007
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	33 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Vladimir A. Rakov is a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Florida. He was previously Director of the Lightning Research Laboratory at Tomsk Polytechnical University, Russia.
Martin A. Uman was the co-founder and President of Lightning Location and Protection, Inc. (LLP) and is now a professor and Chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Florida.

Table of Contents

Preface; 1. Introduction; 2. Incidence of lightning; 3. Electrical structure of lightning-producing clouds; 4. Downward negative lightning discharges to ground; 5. Positive and bipolar lightning discharges to ground; 6. Upward lightning initiated by ground-based objects; 7. Artificial initiation (triggering) of lightning by ground-based activity; 8. Winter lightning in Japan; 9. Cloud discharges; 10. Lightning and airborne vehicles; 11. Thunder; 12. Modelling of lightning processes; 13. The distant lightning electromagnetic environment: atmospherics, Schumann resonances and whistlers; 14. Lightning effects in the middle and upper atmosphere; 15. Lightning effects on the chemistry of the atmosphere; 16. Extraterrestrial lightning; 17. Lightning locating systems; 18. Deleterious effects of lightning and protective techniques; 19. Lightning hazards to humans and animals; 20. Ball lightning, bead lightning, and other unusual discharges; Appendix. books on lightning and related subjects; Subjects; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"Lightning Physics and Effects is not a lightning book; it is a lightning encyclopedia. Rarely in the history of science has one contribution covered a subject with such depth and thoroughness as to set the enduring standard for years, perhaps even decades, to come...The overall quality of the printing is superb; the figures are excellent, and the Plate Section presents six classic pages of photographs and figures." EOS

"...this will be one of the definitive books on lightning for several years to come. The book should be in the library of anybody working on lightning and its effects, and will certainly be of value to students and researchers in the atmospheric sciences as a textbook, detailed reference and bibliographic source." Weather

"This excellent book discusses all aspects of lightning noted on Earth and the other solar planets.... An all-encompassing book." Choice

"A great deal of information on lightning and lightning protection." Physics Today

"Rakov and Uman's encyclopedic work will be extremely useful for specalists as a rich source of factual and bibliographic information." Physics Today

"This book is clearly the most complete compilation of material on the physics and effects of lightning that exists today. It is well-written, and I expect that it will be an important reference for both specialists and nonspecialists alike in future years." American Meteorological Society, E. Philip Krider

"...a very useful reference book not only for people interested in lightning and thunder, due to the extensive list of references, but also for researchers and scientists working on high-voltage engineering and nonlinear systems, because the extensive review of various observations also provides guidance for further future investigations." - IEEE Circuits and Devices Magazine

From the Publisher