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plasma globes secret



Just to catch your attention.

	People in the past have used T coils for powering plasma globes 
since they need high voltage high frequency currents to work. Tesla himself 
experimented with them in the form of the carbon "button" bulbs. 

	If you can build a discharge chamber, it allows you to get many 
times the arc length of a standard air discharge coil. 


	In some high pressure plasma experiments, people have, in the past, 
sometimes added helium gas to raise the working pressure of a plasma 
discharge -even up to and beyond 15psi.

	I have tested this idea recently with a homemade plasma sphere run 
from a small 15kHz flyback supply. I can obtain 15psi discharges in helium 
with some small partial pressure of air(or other gas) with rather small 
input from the flyback (est~5Kv).

	So yes! You can run a plasma sphere at atmospheric pressure with 
helium + small dopant gas.


-Ed

Now if I can only find some reasonably non-toxic gas which produces nice 
colors!