Similarity between the initial breakdown pulses of negative ground flash and narrow bipolar pulses

In this paper, temporal characteristics of several initial electric field pulses of preliminary breakdown process (PBP) from very close negative cloud-to-ground (CG) flashes are compared to close narrow bipolar pulses (NBPs) to observe any similarity that may exists. Interestingly, we found that the initial PBP pulses are similar to close NBP with zero crossing time less than 5 μs, do not preceded by any slow field change and followed by pronounce static component. As NBPs are believed to be a result of relativistic runaway electron avalanches discharge, this finding is an indication that the initial electric field pulses of PBP are perhaps the result of the same discharge mechanism.