Title :
Some results of artificially produced ball lightning formation in atmospheric air
Author_Institution :
Neoteric Res. Inc., College Park, MD, USA
Abstract :
Summary form only given, as follows. Artificial ball lightning has been produced in atmospheric air using input energies from 20 Joules to 4 kiloJoules, resulting in lifetimes of a few milliseconds to many tens of milliseconds. This work was the result of attempts to form encapsulated all-plasma Spheromaks (PMKs) at atmospheric pressure, based on speculations about the PLASMAK/sup TM/ model. Representative frames showing a variety of features of the formed plasmoids will be displayed and discussed. One set of frames shows the formation, disruption, and fluorescence from the recontracted air. Energetic beams released by the disruption generated an X-ray signature in lead. Frames of PMKs are shown translated from their plasma blow-off clouds and the formation apparatus. Production of a formed and hyper-accelerated PMK is included. Frames of the step-by-step decay of the residual plasma (magnetized Hill´s vortex) are depicted. The PLASMAK/sup TM/ model will be briefly discussed.
Keywords :
lightning; plasma confinement; PLASMAK/sup TM/ model; X-ray signature; artificially produced ball lightning formation; atmospheric air; atmospheric pressure; encapsulated all-plasma Spheromaks; energetic beams; fluorescence; magnetized Hill´s vortex; plasma blow-off clouds; plasmoids; residual plasma; step-by-step decay; Atmospheric-pressure plasmas; Educational institutions; Frequency; Lightning; Plasma accelerators; Plasma displays; Plasma sources; Plasma x-ray sources; Sparks; X-ray lasers;
Conference_Titel :
Plasma Science, 1999. ICOPS '99. IEEE Conference Record - Abstracts. 1999 IEEE International Conference on
Conference_Location :
Monterey, CA, USA
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-5224-6
DOI :
10.1109/PLASMA.1999.829470