Effect of triggered discharge using an excimer laser with high-repetition-rate of the order of kilohertz

The triggering ability of the laser-triggered lightning method is improved by using a KrF excimer laser with a high-repetition-rate of the order of kHz order. It is clarified that the effect of a triggered discharge is considerably enhanced when the plasma density is greater than 1013 cm-3. Thus far, the laser-triggered lightning method has not been expected to display a triggering ability since one pulse of an excimer laser possesses energy of less than 1 J, and the produced plasma has a low density of 1012 cm-3, its plasma density is one order lower than that required for its application in the triggering and guiding of lightning discharge. The enhancement of plasma density achieved by utilizing the accumulation effect of charged particles generated by the high-repetition-rate laser was 1013 cm-3. This led to an effective a 50% reduction in the self-breakdown voltage