RE: stray DC on Tesla Coil

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "David Thomson by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <dave-at-volantis-dot-org>

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the great reference.  That's rather interesting.  I'll have to
add an electret to my list of things to build.

As for the operation of the flat spiral secondary, I wouldn't characterize
the flow of energy as DC any more than AC.  If there is already a static
charge with a positive and negative potential through the poles of the coil,
how could there be DC from the outer windings to the center of the coil?

As far as I know, modern physics only describes movements of electricity in
either DC or AC flow.  That static charge through the poles of the center of
the coil would rule out both.  Yet, when the outer lead of the coil is
brought to the terminal lead, there is a definite movement of electrical
energy from the outer lead toward the terminal.  The implication for a
closed circuit is that the energy within the coil is moving from the center
toward the outer lead.  So what is the nature of this energy flow if it
isn't either DC or AC?

Once again, this precisely matches my c^2 model.

Dave


> The vector of energy in a flat spiral is clearly in one direction, from
the
> outside toward the center.  As far as I know, solenoids are RF all the way
> through.

	Common assumption.  It having been reported, repeatedly, that
	a DC component is present, various explanations have been
	proposed.  For persistence of charge, look up an electret
	or electrophorus.  (A thing which stores electric charge, more
	or less as a magnet stores magnetic 'charge'.)

	For the presence of DC field, while in operation (and for the
	source of the DC field to charge the 'electret', look for
	something called an 'ionic rectifier' (or close to that, the
	proper name is in the list archives.)

	Roughly, what happens is that the leakage current from a quasi
	pointed electrode at high AC potential is asymmetrical, leading
	to (inefficient) rectification.  This was used in HV rectifiers,
	for some purposes, in decades past.  Roughly, one might say that
	since the positive ions are atoms (large), and the negative largely
	electrons (light) there is a different mobility for each, leading
	to the asymmetry, hence, the rectification...

	This can be found in the usual texts, eg 'Gaseous Conductors',
	Cobine
	best
	dwp