Theoretical Model for the Progression of Leader Steppers in a Thundercloud

This paper presents a theoretical model to describe the progression of leading (falling) lightnings in storms (stepped leaders), moving down from their starting at the thundercloud base to they meet an upward streamer. First, some existing models, related to the advance of leading lightnings, are described and then, a novel theory is presented. The model aims to explain the leader lightning progression as a succession of different steps, or branches, that form the typical tree-like shape through the air mass.