Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Ball lightning captured in the lab
Chemistry World ^ | 21 August 2013 | James Urquhart

Posted on 08/22/2013 8:20:43 PM PDT by neverdem

US researchers have developed a new way to create glowing orbs of plasma similar to ball lightning in the lab, allowing them to study their chemical and physical properties. The work could help scientists unravel the mysteries of this very rare natural phenomenon.

Ball lightning has been known for millennia, but its rarity and short lived nature – typically lasting between 1 and 10 seconds – has prevented it from being studied and understood. In recent years, however, lab experiments that mimic ball lightning have been developed.

One method involves a glowing discharge produced above an aqueous electrolyte solution. However, high pressure partially ionised plasmas made this way usually only lasted for milliseconds. Now, Mike Lindsay and colleagues at the US Air Force Academy have found that altering the acidity of the electrolyte solution can produce balls that last for up to 0.61 seconds, creating an opportunity to better understand them.

'It is remarkable that you can have these charges separated in a relatively stable way for relatively long periods of time,' says Lindsay. 'The fact we can increase it from milliseconds to seconds – that's three orders of magnitude – and if one understood this further perhaps this could turn into something more substantial and usable.'

By using high-speed video cameras and infrared absorption spectroscopy the team were able to investigate the internal density and structure of such plasmoids for the first time. They found that ionised water clusters appear to be the main source of the plasma.

'There have been several previous papers on this type of plasma phenomenon, but this paper gives more details and confirms the previous reports,' comments John Lowke, who investigates ball lightning at CSIRO in Sydney, Australia. 'There is at least one observation claimed to be ball lightning that I know of, for which the present experiment would be an explanation.'

However, Lowke says the work does not explain many observations of ball lightning, including reports of seeing it pass through windows and existing inside aeroplanes. 'Most reports of ball lightning have the balls drifting above the ground, but not rising like a hot air balloon, and being quite separate of any liquid or electrolyte.'

Lindsay agrees that the lab-based phenomenon cannot explain all ball lightning observed in nature. He suggests that instead of ball lightning being one particular phenomenon it's more likely to be a series of phenomena that appear similar but are chemically and physically distinct.

The researchers are now looking at ways of extending the lifetime of the plasma and to increase the resolution and sensitivity of the spectroscopy. 'That should allow us to pinpoint exactly what molecular species are present in the plasma and then we should be able to map out its chemistry.'

References

D M Friday et al, J. Phys. Chem. A, 2013, DOI: 10.1021/jp400001y



TOPICS: Science; Weather
KEYWORDS: balllightning; catastrophism; chemistry; physics; plasma
There's a short video at the source.
1 posted on 08/22/2013 8:20:43 PM PDT by neverdem
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: neverdem

I heard they’re trying to weaponize this now, actually.


2 posted on 08/22/2013 8:27:11 PM PDT by gaijin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: neverdem

This lab creation of ball lightning is very suspicious... I’m not sure I believe it.

Until they mention some connection to glowbull warming, I’ll have to remain skeptical.

Without mention of climate change, they would not have gotten grant money, and without grant money, they would not be able to support and have funded all this research.


3 posted on 08/22/2013 8:27:17 PM PDT by C210N (When people fear government there is tyranny; when government fears people there is liberty)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: neverdem

Ball lightning, sounds painful...... sorry.


4 posted on 08/22/2013 8:30:15 PM PDT by Mastador1 (I'll take a bad dog over a good politician any day!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: neverdem

Great balls o’ fire!!


5 posted on 08/22/2013 8:31:24 PM PDT by beethovenfan (If Islam is the solution, the "problem" must be freedom.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: neverdem

I can do that in a microwave, put a lit match in a microwave and see what happens.


6 posted on 08/22/2013 8:42:14 PM PDT by Husker24
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: neverdem

Nikola Tesla may have done it!!


7 posted on 08/22/2013 8:43:53 PM PDT by Honorary Serb (Kosovo is Serbia! Free Srpska! Abolish ICTY!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Husker24

Um, I don’t think that is well known. Microwave excitation of plasma (flame)? Ya ought to make a youtube video. Could be significant. Not joking.


8 posted on 08/22/2013 9:17:46 PM PDT by piytar (The predator-class is furious that their prey are shooting back.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: neverdem

I saw this phenomenon when I was a kid. Really fascinating, even at that young age.

Glad I had the chance to see it.

CA....


9 posted on 08/22/2013 9:20:13 PM PDT by Chances Are (Seems I've found that silly grin again....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: gaijin

Don’t doubt it.

You been reading Joseph Farrell?

CA....


10 posted on 08/22/2013 9:21:47 PM PDT by Chances Are (Seems I've found that silly grin again....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: El Gato; Ernest_at_the_Beach; Robert A. Cook, PE; lepton; LadyDoc; jb6; tiamat; PGalt; Dianna; ...
Bacteria in mouth may trigger colorectal cancer

Insulin Pumps Better Than Injections for Kids With Type 1 Diabetes: Study

Endocannabinoids trigger inflammation that leads to diabetes

Drug-resistant superbug is spotted in Nebraska

FReepmail me if you want on or off my health and science ping list.

11 posted on 08/22/2013 9:24:30 PM PDT by neverdem (Register pressure cookers! /s)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: neverdem

Not sure I’d want to be in the lab with it


12 posted on 08/22/2013 9:31:50 PM PDT by bigbob
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: piytar

Check youtube, there are plenty of videos on microwave plasmas.


13 posted on 08/22/2013 9:37:34 PM PDT by Husker24
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Mastador1
Ball lightning, sounds painful...... sorry.
-------------------------------------

I wish this only lasted for 10 seconds...

 photo Obama-Flymylittledevilsfly1.jpg

14 posted on 08/22/2013 9:47:35 PM PDT by BobP (The piss-stream media - Never to be watched again in my house)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: neverdem

Cool!

Shoot heavy water plasma ball into converging mag field for fusion.
...Give me a bazillion dollar grant please Uncle Sugar.

[Wow! My copy of “Project Sherwood” is 55 years old!]


15 posted on 08/22/2013 10:06:05 PM PDT by mrsmith (Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat Party!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Husker24

Wow. Had no idea. Thanks. Cool stuff.


16 posted on 08/22/2013 10:38:19 PM PDT by piytar (The predator-class is furious that their prey are shooting back.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: neverdem
....including reports of seeing it pass through windows and existing inside airplanes.

That has always been the fascinating part to me, that the plasma can maintain its' integrity passing through glass like there was nothing there.
That kind of poses a bunch of problems if it is just a plasma.

17 posted on 08/22/2013 10:55:01 PM PDT by The Cajun (Sarah Palin, Mark Levin, Ted Cruz......Nuff said.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: gaijin
heard they’re trying to weaponize this now...

Yeah, I'm sure Obama and the other thugs in Washington DC have the wisdom to use it wisely... As you know "We have always been at war with Eastasia" - according to the Ministry of Truth...

18 posted on 08/23/2013 5:31:49 AM PDT by GOPJ (- - NSA - The only part of government that actually listens...Joe Kovacs)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: gaijin

I so want a ball lightning gun...


19 posted on 08/23/2013 2:12:14 PM PDT by Brett66 (Where government advances, and it advances relentlessly , freedom is imperiled -Janice Rogers Brown)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: 75thOVI; agrace; aimhigh; Alice in Wonderland; AndrewC; aragorn; aristotleman; Avoiding_Sulla; ...

I'm glad someone finally got *round* to it, bwa ha ha. Thanks neverdem.


20 posted on 08/23/2013 5:25:33 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (It's no coincidence that some "conservatives" echo the hard left.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson