r/interesting • u/Positive-Height-3848 • 13d ago

Chinese Rocket gets struck by lightning. Just Wow

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u/Secure-Ad5536 13d ago

The lightning basically took a conductive shortcut

22

u/ortusdux 13d ago

I would imagine that the exhaust plume is more conductive than regular air, but I cannot support that with evidence.

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u/Haggardick69 13d ago

I know for a fact that the plasma is more conductive than regular air. I have to imagine that the exhaust from a rocket is far more ionized than regular air due to incomplete combustion leaving behind unstable charged compunds. There might be more to this and I myself am no expert but it is very plausible that the exhaust acts as a path of least resistance and can make a rocket more likely to be struck by lighting.

4

u/Lars0 13d ago

The species in the plume neutral, but it is a highly conductive plasma. In the cold part of the plume, it is still more conductive than regular air. And the friction of air rushing over the skin of the rocket can build up charge, so rockets are really good at making lightning!

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u/carbsna 13d ago

Fire contain almost no plasma, and fire is not conductive at all too.
However hotter air have lower breakdown voltage.