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TC produce X-Rays?
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From: Thomas McGahee [SMTP:tom_mcgahee-at-sigmais-dot-com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 1998 10:03 AM
To: Tesla List
Subject: Re: TC produce X-Rays?
Tristan,
A Tesla Coil by itself will not produce x-rays. However, if you
attach any kind of evacuated vessel to the terminal of a Tesla
coil, then you have a VERY good chance of producing x-rays.
When I was in high school back in 1964 I did a series of
experiments along this line, and found that *many* radio tubes
and even certain types of ordinary light bulbs could be made
to produce copious x-rays. The experiments were triggered by
an article I had read in an older Scientific American magazine
in the Amateur Scientist column run by C.L. Stong. The author
of the article was Mr. Harry Simons.
Most modern light bulbs contain a gas such as argon, and do
not have the high vacuums in them that older light bulbs
had. If the evacuated bulb/tube/device gives off a light blue
or fluorescent green light when connected to a Tesla Coil,
then it is most likely generating x-rays. Continued
operation usually results in the glass becoming very hot, and
often a pinhole will develop and the vacuum ceases to exist.
Exercise caution when attaching evacuated devices to the top
of a Tesla Coil. Other than that, don't worry about x-ray
production.
Fr. Tom McGahee
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> From: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
> To: 'Tesla List' <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
> Subject: TC produce X-Rays?
> Date: Tuesday, August 11, 1998 12:15 AM
>
>
> ----------
> From: Mad Coiler [SMTP:tesla_coiler-at-hotmail-dot-com]
> Sent: Monday, August 10, 1998 8:22 PM
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: TC produce X-Rays?
>
> Coilers,
>
> Someone the other day told me to be careful with Tesla Coils cause they
> can produce *dangerous* x-rays. I was just wondering if anybody ever
> measured any x-rays produced by TC's? I told the guy that I didnt think
> so - I thought you had to have a decent vacuum to create x-rays. I would
> amagine the UV produced by the spark gap (and streamers?) is much more
> dangerous than any x-rays that are produced (if any?).
> So, does anyone have any info on this?
>
> Tristan Stewart
>
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>
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