Explanation of the Tao Effect: Theory for the Spherical Aggregation of Superconducting Microparticles in an Electric Field

Abstract

In a series of experiments Tao and co-workers found that superconducting microparticles in the presence of a strong electrostatic field aggregate into balls of macroscopic dimensions. No explanation of this phenomenon exists within the conventional theory of superconductivity. We show that this effect can be understood within an alternative electrodynamic description of superconductors recently proposed that follows from an unconventional theory of superconductivity. Experiments to test the theory are discussed.