From: Paul M Koloc <xpmk@starpower.net>
Reply-To: pmk@plasmak.com
Organization: Prometheus II, Ltd.
Newsgroups: sci.physics.plasma
Subject: Re: Ball Lightning and Fusion
References: <c2laan$5fpv$1@saturn.cs.uml.edu> <c4hblp$c5al$1@saturn.cs.uml.edu>

jonesrob@emporia.edu wrote:
>>Saw a program on the Discovery channel the other night about
>>Ball Lightning.    There was some talk of some scientists
>>thinking that a fusion process was at play here.   The show
>>didn't appear to be that recent.  Have any new attempts been
>>made to verify whether Ball Lightning has anything to do with
>>a fusion reaction ?.
>>If it is a fusion process at work here,   how would this influence
>>future fusion work if at all ?
>>
>>Thanks,   Adrian.
> If ball lightning exists (if probably does) and if it is plasma (many
> theories say it is but not all) and if it is not continuously being
> driven by unseen power sources (some theories have external currents
> drive it others microwaves) and if it lasts for more than a fraction
> of a second then it might be interesting in that it is confined for so
> long.  However, most theories say it is a rather cool plasma which makes it
> easy to confine.  So its of less interest in learning how to confine
> a hot plasma.  But any knowledge MIGHT be useful.
> As for dangerous "radiation" from ball lightning?  I'd worry first about
> UV.

We have postulated a theory of ball lightning that supposes a central
toroidal ring with its currents and fields and a surrounding mantle of
plasma that surrounds and contains the outer surface of the internally
generated poloidal field. The bounding pressure of the atmosphere
provides the force balance at the mantle. A rather cool plasma with
thermal currents are so resistive the plasma would only last a order ten
microseconds before its energy would be gone and the remnant plasma
would collapse and extinguish.  Our experimental work has produced
magnetoplasmoids in ordinary air which have five or six orders of
magnitude longer life times than the order ten microseconds of a
plasmoid with thermal currents.  To produce these lifetimes the currents
are accelerated with an intense discharge pulse that produce EMF that
generate runaway electron currents.  We need to improve the front end of
our current signature by adding capacitors and making the circuit lower
in inductance.  A disrupted magnetoplasmoid generated X-rays from 80 to
150 keV (the upper limit of our multichannel X-ray detector).  However,
if the plasmoid does not disrupt, the extreme UV 1 to 2 eV is absorbed
in the atmosphere within an inch of the mantle surface.

We now have enough energy to form 30-35 cm diameter balls.
Modification for fusion experiments will have to wait until a funding
source can be found. Air borne magnetoplasmoids definitely will not
produce fusion.  However, use of a particular Hafnium plasma might make
an interesting investigation.

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