Verification of the least-time/maximum-probability theory of lightning propagation and lightning protection systems design

The authors present the verification and validation of the least time/maximum probability (LT-MP) theories of lightning propagation and lightning protection. Verification is achieved by showing that what the theory predicts should happen, actually does happen: (a) in verification tests under controlled laboratory conditions; and (b) in natural lightning, as verified by direct observations. Furthermore, the correspondence principle shows that (c) in the limit the LT-MP theories and classical physics agree. This, and the article in ITEM ´97, together are important because: (1) for the scientific community, it brings lightning under the umbrella of mainstream science; (2) for lightning protection systems (LPS) designers, it brings out the strengths and the weaknesses in existing guidelines and practices of conventional LPSs; and (3) it encourages the user, or potential user, of an LPS to ask a vendor to quantify the quality of his LPS