Re: Three ball electrostatic rotation (fwd)

[Steven Roys <sroys@xxxxxxxx>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2004 19:07:28 -0800
From: Richard Hull <rhull@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Three ball electrostatic rotation (fwd)

Two balls rotate about their axis, yes.

It's a fact!

The paper didn't prove it or make it so.  It was physically replicated by
two separate experiments performed by folks on this list.  Now, what all
this means and why it does this, may or may not be what the paper's authors
had in mind.

Richard Hull
----- Original Message -----
From: "High Voltage list" <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2004 10:34 AM
Subject: Re: Three ball electrostatic rotation (fwd)


> Original poster: Steven Roys <sroys@xxxxxxxx>
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2004 16:06:43 -0800
> From: Ed Phillips <evp@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: Three ball electrostatic rotation (fwd)
>
> High Voltage list wrote:
> >
> > Original poster: Steven Roys <sroys@xxxxxxxx>
> >
> > ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> > Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2004 16:39:18 -0800
> > From: Richard Hull <rhull@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > To: HVLIST <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
> > Subject: Three ball electrostatic rotation
> >
> > I have only been signed back onto this list for about 4 months.
> >
> > Has a discussion swarmed around the paper by Wistrom and Khachatourian
from the Journal of Physics A regarding electrostatic torque in a three ball
system?(title  "Coulomb torque - A general theory for electrostatic forces
in many body systems.")
> >
> > It has been rather big news in some circles.  It has created a bit of a
tempest in a teapot.
> >
> > The "Industrial Physicist" magazine I take has had a long running
discussion in it around this supposed phenomenon.
> >
> > The upshot is that two 8" metal spheres are suspended from the ceiling
on fine threads.  They are placed in near contact with each other.  A third
fixed ball, also in near contact with the other two, is brought up to a high
voltage of about 1-5kv.  (return is to the earth).  It was noted in the
paper that the two suspended balls start to rotate.
> >
> > The voltage is too low for corona in a normal sense.
> >
> > The paper supplies equations and data to support a weak mutual torque
through the system of balls.
> >
> > We thought it was impossible, as do most scientists.  However unlike
other scientists who just poo-poo the idea outright, we did the experiment
and, indeed, the balls do rotate.  They rotate painfully slow.  They also
move to touch over a great period in our experiment.  Tim Raney and myself
conducted the experiment last summer.  In spite of this we are still
skeptical of the conclusion that a torque is there due to electrostatic
laws, but feel that the lateral translation of the restrained (sus
> >
> > Finally, it is a very critical and delicate experiment to actually do.
A good, stable, low voltage variable supply is a must.  The proper voltage
at various angles between the near touching spheres is critical to a few
tens of volts!!!  Five to six kilovolts is way too much voltage.
> >
> > Anyone seen or heard of this effect?......  done any experiments?
> >
> > Richard Hull
>
> Do you mean the balls rotate about their axes?  Sounds almost like the
> faster than light transmission line propagation reports!
>
> Ed
>
>
>