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I have read this question:

Can lightning happen in a vacuum?

I do understand that here on Earth lightning consists of electrons moving in space and some of these electrons are tracing path, and eventually lightning will move in the direction of least resistance.

Now the reason why some electrons need to trace the path is because there is atmosphere here and the electrons moving interact with air, and the actual lightning is where the electrons find the path of least resistance through the air molecules.

Now in space, there is no air, there is no resistance from air. I do understand that even vacuum is not empty and there is permettivity and permeability of space (meaning in some sense some resistance), but still, there is no air and electrons can practically move freely in vacuum.

Now if there is no resistance from the air molecules, and the electrons do not interact with anything (matter or other particles) in space, then they could just go in a perfectly straight path, because there is no need for tracing the path of least resistance.

Question:

  1. Since there is no air, there is no resistance, and the path of least resistance should be a straight line?
Qmechanic
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Árpád Szendrei
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  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_breakdown – BowlOfRed May 15 '19 at 04:56
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    @John Rennie please reopen, my question is about if it is a straight line? – Árpád Szendrei May 15 '19 at 05:46
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    Electrons travel in straight lines in a Crookes Tube. – PM 2Ring May 15 '19 at 06:09
  • Space is filled with an extremely highly conductive kinetic, ionized gas called a plasma. The only time you get dielectric discharge like that in lightning is on artificial spacecraft with poorly conducting surfaces, i.e., arcing occurs on spacecraft when they over charge. As for what it looks like, I have no idea I just know it occurs because we can measure it and in some cases, see the damage after the fact... – honeste_vivere Apr 18 '22 at 13:08

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