High Speed Streamer Pictures

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: Vardan <vardan01@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Hi All,

My new streak camera scope is working pretty good now!  So I picked a 
few real cool pictures to share.

This is the setup:

http://drsstc.com/~streakcam/pictures/31-0.JPG

The LED bar graph goes from -2.5A to +2.5A in 0.25A 
increments.  Center is ground and there is a 100kHz maker on the far 
right.  It is directly measuring the current to the arc breakout 
rod.  There are green LEDs at each end for a reference. Time is from 
the bottom toward the top.


Here is a typical steamer buildup and strike:

http://drsstc.com/~streakcam/pictures/31-1.JPG

There is a 1/2 amp positive leader that goes about 1/4 the distance 
at 0.5A.  On the next positive 1/2 cycle the negative leader goes 1/2 
the distance at 0.75 amps.  The next positive 1/2 cycle 1.75A leader 
just falls short of connecting (note the corona off the ground 
point).  The next negative leader connects and discharges the system 
(a super fast thing the scope cannot report accurately).


Here are two superimposed images showing both positive (bottom) and 
negative (top) strikes.

http://drsstc.com/~streakcam/pictures/31-2.JPG

I note that negative strikes seem to be brighter in general than positive ones.


Here is a set of three leaders just to the air that never connected:

http://drsstc.com/~streakcam/pictures/31-3.JPG

They seem to be about 0.5A to 0.75A peak.  The branching here seems 
like it draws more current than just a single leader.


Here is a negative leader (top) that connected but never "caught on 
fire" I guess.

http://drsstc.com/~streakcam/pictures/31-4.JPG

The next positive leader (probably) quickly strikes hard.

Wild stuff!!!

Cheers,

	Terry