Re: 1-atm plasma streamers

To: tesla-at-GRENDEL.objinc-dot-com
Subject: Re: 1-atm plasma streamers
From: Dan Kline <KLINEDA-at-UNIVSCVM.CSD.SCAROLINA.EDU>
Date: Tue, 26 Sep 95 07:50:40 EDT
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On Mon, 25 Sep 1995 09:00:36 +0700 you said:

>>Ed Harris' work with inert gas Plaasma Globes at ambient pressure shows
>>that spark lengths are immensely increased in argon.  If I blow a stream
>>of argon at a tiny flyback TC, 5" sparks jump up the stream!  Without the
>>argon, the flyback will make a 1/8" corona and 1/4" sparks.

Hmmm...The reason this happens is exactly the same effect that causes lift
under an airplane wing: The streaming gas is at *lower* pressure than the
surrounding air, and so a "vacuum" effect exists in the streaming gas
compared to the surrounding atmosphere. That's why the spark travels up the
gas stream. It's certainly not atmospheric pressure: Argon only conducts
at less than 1 atm--especially from 25 to 20 inches Hg. (Sorry, I don't know
the values in Torr. :) These values are based on my own experiments with
plasma-globes.

>How about letting a stream  of heated Argon rise from the Terminal of a TC
>in very still air.
>This approach might produce an interesting effect as well, mabye even a
>'twister'  if a flat
>platform were placed ontop of the terminal......................just a thought.
You can test this idea just by burning a piece of paper on the terminal...:)

>Hmm..............mabye some fun could be had  filling a large clear plastic
>bag with argon, and resting
>that on the terminal.
>How far could the electrodes of a jacobs-ladder be spaced in an argon filled
>enclosure? (not realy Tesla stuff, but an interesting concept.)

Well, since the argon's not "streaming"...:(  But the arc will be a nice color.
:)

Dan  <klineda-at-univscvm.csd.scarolina.edu>