From: "Mike" <induction@comcast.net>
References: <ccv192$5hdj$1@saturn.cs.uml.edu>
Subject: Re: Creating A Conducting Channel In The Atmosphere
Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2004 01:20:15 -0400
Newsgroups: sci.physics.plasma


Hi Joe,
I was reading a report CD last year that visited on this, though
the main body was
on Ball lightning. Some declassified stuff showed a few designs of work done
back in the 50's
but mainly it was initiated in some vacuum. This was work expanded on
because somebody was
complaining that when certain configurations were tried, many parts of the
vacuum system kept
getting "deeply pitted". The system was re-configured, about everything
"tough" was used as targets
then looked at under microscopes and there they were (I saw the pictures)
nice clean bore holes
such as you would expect done with lasers of today but the pattern was more
of a "spray".
It was a simple setup really, a chamber with a 450 kHz induction generator
was used as a supply
of "pre-ionized material", then into another chamber where the timing was
everything, it was banged
with a discharge and at the right moment, a "punch coil" with a magnetic
filed of about 70kg forced
the material down a constricting chamber and out it went.
One of the problems was that the magnetic field would try to reverse sign
somewhat just after the
peak as it fell back on the conductors of the electromagnets and a lot of
work went into shunting
the counter EMF fast enough; They were trying to impulse this thing as fast
as they could and eject
"plasma packets" at the targets but this meant quenching the magnetic field
just as fast.
There were some problems in that area. Mainly, for each new injection into
the output chamber,
the punch coil was supposed to not have a field until, figuring for rise
time, the material was first given
it's last big discharge, then the punch coil came on line.
They did get it to go a small distance though, but the effect greatly
reduced further out and it was
still less than at sea level pressure.The old mean free distance problem.
A friend of mine, big into ball lightning research had built a copy of
Teslas' three winding coil,
(the magnifying transmitter) 42 feet wide because Tesla had reported ball
lighting like events on a few
trials.After the tests, the coil was still available. He knew a Ph.D that
thought, close to your
question, he might be able to cut a channel and blaze a path for high
voltage by pre-ionizing
with X-ray streams. My friend was ready, his 100 kW diesel generator and
coil did close to 60 feet
arcs on it's own but of course these arcs were very random in
direction.While my friend could deliver,
his X-ray man could not and it never worked.
The Tesla coil work was not wasted though. He got an Air Force contract to
prove that lightning
shielding on aircraft, mainly fighters was less than it used to be with the
newer skins. No computer,
no workie right, fall out of sky, make big mess. Builders said it was
shielded enough, pilots said no,
Uncle Sam said put such and such electronics in models and bring them to
this large hanger where
the monster coil was set up.
The models, one by one, were placed on the test stand, people retreated way
past the safety
lines so marked and simulated lightning, to scale, proved the pilots right.
Only one model passed
with extra shielding. Ahh, sweet ozone. I've seen the movie, most
impressive!

"Joe" <jpsmith123@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:ccv192$5hdj$1@saturn.cs.uml.edu...
>
> I'm wondering if it might be possible to create a short (maybe a few
meters
> long) conducting channel in air using a rail gun like scheme, where,
rather
> than accelerate a solid projectile, the plasma itself is projected from
the
> device. Does this idea seem feasible?
>
>




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