| Topic: |
Science > Physics |
| User: |
"" |
| Date: |
30 Mar 2005 05:57:22 PM |
| Object: |
Ball lightning theory |
Hi group.
I had an interesting idea that perhaps the reason why science has yet
to duplicate the anomalous long lifetime of natural ball lightning is
simply that the scale is wrong.
As has been seen in the various attempts to build fusion plants, large
toroidal plasmas seem to be inherently unstable, requiring continuous
correction and current/magnetic field application to keep them stable.
Therefore, it would seem unlikely that such a structure could exist in
air, in the presence of oxygen atoms and other gases.
My idea is that ball lightning is in fact a cluster of microscopic
(<1mm) plasma toroids held together by their electrostatic attraction
but kept from merging by their rotation and magnetic moment.
They are produced during the return stroke from a powerful lightning
bolt by the interaction between the collapsing plasma channel and its
surrounding magnetic field.
Each plasma toroid is a discrete and separate entity, and therefore the
ball can collide with objects yet not dissipate, as has been observed.
Additionally, being so small these toroids can find their way through
the majority of structures (window frames, under doors, through
keyholes, etc) and reform on the other side.
If there are a large enough quantity of these toroids then they might
vapourise a small hole in the glass/metal, through which the rest will
then rush through in much the same way that a crowd of people pass
through a single open doorway.
This theory also explains the apparently random motion of ball
lightning, as the motion of the cluster would resemble a lightning
"leader" following air currents and eddies, as well as responding to
local magnetic fields.
It also explains how ball lightning can "explode" causing damage. Each
one of these toroids may hold a small portion of the overall energy,
and when they begin to destabilise, a "chain reaction" may take place
where the decay of some leads to a criticality event and a sudden
energy release. This is toroid-density dependent which explains how
some "fizzle out" causing no damage.
Feel free to comment :)
-Andre
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| User: "GR_GR" |
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| Title: Re: Ball lightning theory |
30 Mar 2005 08:42:11 PM |
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wrote:
Hi group.
I had an interesting idea that perhaps the reason why science has yet
to duplicate the anomalous long lifetime of natural ball lightning is
simply that the scale is wrong.
As has been seen in the various attempts to build fusion plants, large
toroidal plasmas seem to be inherently unstable, requiring continuous
correction and current/magnetic field application to keep them stable.
Therefore, it would seem unlikely that such a structure could exist in
air, in the presence of oxygen atoms and other gases.
My idea is that ball lightning is in fact a cluster of microscopic
(<1mm) plasma toroids held together by their electrostatic attraction
but kept from merging by their rotation and magnetic moment.
Math please.
.
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: Ball lightning theory -- Maxwell already explained it. |
31 Mar 2005 02:29:18 PM |
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wrote:
I had an interesting idea that perhaps the reason why science has yet
to [sic] duplicate the anomalous long lifetime of natural ball
lightning is simply that the scale is wrong.
.... in actual fact the occurrence of atmospheric discharges is the
subject matter of article 55 of Maxwell's treatise on electromagnetism.
I saw an instance of them last night, as described in the nearby
article "Plasma discharges over northern Milwaukee county". They very
closely fit the description Maxwell gave of the phenomenon.
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| User: "Uncle Al" |
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| Title: Re: Ball lightning theory |
30 Mar 2005 08:15:35 PM |
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wrote:
[snip]
My idea is that ball lightning is in fact a cluster of microscopic
(<1mm) plasma toroids held together by their electrostatic attraction
but kept from merging by their rotation and magnetic moment.
[snip]
Feel free to comment :)
Gibberish.
--
Uncle Al
http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/
(Toxic URL! Unsafe for children and most mammals)
http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/qz.pdf
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