Lightning Physics and Protection Laboratory

Contact person: Prof. CHEN Mingli Tel: 27664549, Email: mingli.chen@polyu.edu.hk

The Lighting Physics and Protection Laboratory aims to carry out researches on the formation, detection and protection of the lightning. The laboratory includes various instruments specially designed for lightning research use, such as slow and fast antenna for measuring lightning-caused electric fields, magnetic loop antenna for measuring lightning-caused magnetic fields, lightning location system, high-speed camera, broadband interferometer system, and lightning current measuring system. It also includes various instruments for general purpose use, such as high-speed oscilloscopes and data recorders etc. Due to the nature of lightning, these instruments are usually installed in field outside the lab for experiments during the summer. In addition to the hardware, the lab also has various sets of software developed for modelling various lightning processes. Below are 3 examples of lightning devices developed in the lab.