Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Re: FUN: high-speed electrostatic air-threads

Bill: Aren't we talking about a mini-bolt of lightning? I always assumed
that this was a corona discharge due to electrical breakdown of the
insulating properties of the air. In that case a narrow stream would be
expected because the slight warming in the vicinity of breakdown would
increase the conductivity in the neighboring warmer air....or am I on
another page? Karl

On Mon, 15 Jun 1998, Leigh Palmer wrote:

Sounds like the pinch effect to me.

I considered that, but pinch cannot reverse the expansion of alike charges
unless they are in a net neutral volume, right? The pinch effect might
squeeze the current in a neutral conductor where there are equal - and +
charges, but for a charged particle stream, e.g. an electron beam, it
would just slow the outward expansion. When charged air flows from a
needle, can the pinch effect squeeze it into a filament, or would the air
stream act more like an electron beam?


((((((((((((((((((((( ( ( ( ( (O) ) ) ) ) )))))))))))))))))))))
William J. Beaty SCIENCE HOBBYIST website
billb@eskimo.com www.eskimo.com/~billb
EE/programmer/sci-exhibits science projects, tesla, weird science
Seattle, WA 206-781-3320 freenrg-L taoshum-L vortex-L webhead-L

Dr. Karl I. Trappe Desk Phone: (512) 471-4152
Physics Dept, Mail Stop C-1600 Demo Office: (512) 471-5411
The University of Texas at Austin Home Phone: (512) 264-1616
Austin, Texas 78712-1081