Date: Fri, 30 Jan 1998 08:16:00 -0800 (PST)
Newsgroups: sci.physics.plasma
From: "David T. McKee" <david.mckee@rtp.gtegsc.com>
Subject: Re: Plasma globe
Organization: GTE Government Systems
Message-ID: <34D1FCD0.294E5724@rtp.gtegsc.com>
References: <34D09806.3590@pophost.eunet.be>


These globes (most I have seen are glass) are basically a small scale tesla
coil (using transistor rf amps and a TV type flyback transformer) which
terminates into a ball electrode. The globe is filled with a proprietary
mixture of nobel gasses (neon being the main component) to make the various
colors.

Some of these globes have controls to adjust the voltage intensity and the
frequency so as to modify the effect, and still others can be connected to
stereo output so that the globe can "pulse" with the music.

David T. McKee

Wilmert De Bosscher wrote:

> Hi there,
>
> Quite some years now, you can find in the shops a kind of plastic
> globe in which one central electrode is present. If the thing is
> switched on (working on batteries) plasma "plumes" are visible and these
> can be attracted to one side if the globe is touched from the outside.
>
> How does this work? Is the globe under vacuum and which gas is used?
> Is that an RF source in the center?
>
> Many thanks
>
> Wilmert