Abstract
Thunderstorms are multi-physics phenomena resulting from intricate charge transfer processes in the atmosphere, which are driven by interactions between ice and water cloud particles. In this work, we present a physically-based model for simulating cloud electrification and discharge processes, enabling the simulation of emergent lightning phenomena, i.e., our approach automatically generates different types of discharges in response to dynamic atmospheric changes, relying solely on a minimal set of atmospheric parameters without requiring additional user input. We model charge separation at the microphysical level using a statistical mechanics approach to describe atmospheric electrification. Additionally, we introduce a gauge-invariant dielectric breakdown model capable of describing multiple bipolar channels, dynamic electric fields, and the electrical resistance of air, offering a comprehensive representation of lightning discharge processes. We validate our model through extensive comparisons with real data and prior state-of-the-art methods, demonstrating its capability to simulate distinct lightning types and the complete life-cycle of thunderstorms. Furthermore, we explore various applications of our framework, including real-time nowcasting, assessments in civil engineering, the generation of virtual environments featuring thunder and lightning, and the simulation of complex dielectric breakdown across diverse domains.
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