On the Comparison of Lightning M-Component Classical and Modified Guided-Wave Models From the Aspects of Azimuthal Magnetic Fields

The azimuthal magnetic fields of lightning M-components at various distance ranges were presented in this article. Two guided-wave models, namely, the classical guided-wave M-component model and the modified guided-wave M-component model, incorporating exponential current decay along the channel, were considered. Both fast and slow M-component current waveforms were utilized in the analysis. The study examined the magnetic field differences between the two models at close, intermediate, and far distance ranges. It was found that the discrepancies between the magnetic fields predicted by the classical guided-wave M-component model (CGM) and modified guided-wave M-component model (MGM) were relatively small at close distances. However, these differences became more noticeable at intermediate and far distances. It was observed that the amplitude differences were more prominent for the fast M-component compared with that of the slow M-component. The study also included a sensitivity analysis on the radiated magnetic fields, which likely explored the factors influencing the magnitude of the lightning M-component magnetic fields.