Ball Lightning Research Articles

How Ball Lightning penetrates in room through small holes and splits

We show in a frame of optical model of Ball Lightning how it finds out holes and splits to penetrate through them and analyze forces responsible for deformation of Ball Lightning. There is no plasma responsible for the natural Ball Lightning existence.

How the ball lightning enters the room through the window panes

It is shown that Ball Lightning in a form of a self-confined light consisting of a thin spherical layer of a strongly compressed air where an intensive white light is circulating in all possible directions can penetrate into room through window panes. Only light penetrates through the pane. The compressed air cannot penetrate through the pane. But the air is located indoor in the room. The light compresses this air indoor in the same manner as it compressed the air outdoor. No plasma is connected with the natural Ball Lightning.

«The Ball Lightning»: Physics Base & Conceptual Views Complex

The complex of conceptual views about ball lightning (BL) as containing surplus electrical charge quasi-stationary material foundation with distinctions between levels of translation temperature and exciting temperatures of chemical bonds and electron energy states has been offered and is substantiated in the paper. The being formed complex is grounded upon overstepping the limits of generally accepted physical base and is aimed at all-round substantiation of jointly observed in nature manifestations ob BL. Within the limits of the being formed complex the possibility of localization of ball lightning in airspace is confirmed. The nature of the one’s radiate capacity is substantiated. The role of environment as source that feeds BL with energy is established. Power supply mechanisms, conditions and peculiarities of BL’s characteristics reproduction through lifetime are specified. The formations channels of energy resources of BL are turned out. Levels of BL’s energy potentialities, both permissibility proper and wide diapason of variation of the ones (multi-faces of ball lightning) are substantiated. Adequacy of being formulated conceptual views as a whole is confirmed.

Ball Lightning as a self-confined light

Abstract We demonstrate that the present scientific knowledge is sufficient to derive the conclusion about the existence of the self-confined light in the form of thin spherical layer of strongly compressed air where the intensive white light is circulating in all possible directions and compresses the air. Behaviors of Ball Lightning and the self-confined light in the terrestrial atmosphere are identical.

From an electron avalanche to the lightning discharge

The goal of this work is to describe qualitatively the physics of processes which begin with an electron avalanche and finish in a lightning discharge. A streamer model is considered that is based on studies of the recently discovered processes occurring in the prestreamer region. The investigation and analysis of these processes enabled making the conclusion that they are, in essence, the attendant processes, which ensure the electron avalanche-to-streamer transition, and may be interpreted as a manifestation of properties of a double charge layer exposed to the external electric field. The pressing problems of physical processes which form a lightning discharge are considered from the standpoint of new ideas about the mechanism of the streamer formation and growth. Causes of the emergence of coherent super-high-frequency radiation of a leader and the neutron production in a lightning discharge are revealed that have not been explained so far in the theory of gas discharge. Based also on new ideas about the lightning discharge, a simple ball-lightning model, providing answers to almost allquestions formulated from numerous observations on the behavior of ball lightning, is offered, and the need of a new design of lightning protection instead of the traditional rod is discussed.

Modeling of Artificial Ball Lightning With a Help of Capillary Discharge

Experiments on creation of artificial ball lightning (BL) by capillary gas discharges at interaction of plasmas with a wire made of a Sn alloy have been undertaken. Two types of long-lived luminescent objects have been realized with sizes 1–5 mm and a lifetime of about 1 s. The first type is a solid metallic sphere and the second one is a sphere with a solid cover filled by a vapor. The obtained results confirm a model where a natural BL consists of a core filled by a vapor of fused material and a solid cover.

Stability of the self-confined light

It is shown that a thin spherical shell of strongly compressed air where an intense light is circulating in all possible direction can be stable. An assumption is put forward that Ball Lightning is an experimental confirmation of existence of the similar spherical shells.

Nonlinear properties of gaseous optical mediums in a context of ball lightning explanation

We consider a dependence of the refractive index of gases on the intensity of the conventional white light in a context of an analysis of properties of nonlinear optical mediums where a self-confined light radiation is possible. This is connected with the fact that a behavior of the self-confined light in a form of thin spherical layer of strongly compressed air where the intensive white light is circulating in all possible directions and a behavior of Ball Lightning in the terrestrial atmosphere are identical.

Possible scenarios for the initial acceleration of electrons of the core of ball lightning

A model for the initial acceleration of electrons of the core of ball lightning is presented, according to which this acceleration occurs on screening of the strong electric field of the positive charge injected into the atmosphere. Several scenarios for such injection, the factors favourable for the formation of ball lightning and possible experiments on such formation are considered.

Can a Charge Configuration with Extreme Excess Charge be Stable

The classical electrodynamics of a macroscopic system with extreme excess charge is considered. The crucial assumption is here made that the electrodynamics of the system is completely dominated by the huge Coulomb repulsion, but counteracted by the resulting, violently oscillating acceleration field. It is shown that a special case of a system of this kind in the form of a charged spherical shell with powerful excess charge may exhibit violent such oscillations, effectively freezing it from expansion and thus in principle showing a counter-intuitive stability, albeit presumably short-lived. This effect may possibly have a bearing on, e g, some types of ball lightning observations, and is here also discussed in relation to the virial theorem, which traditionally is considered to exclude stable, localised electromagnetic configurations of this type. The oscillation frequency obtained for confinement of the type discussed in the article agrees well with what has been shown in laboratory experiments using microwaves to produce stationary luminous plasmoids in test tubes.

Ball lightning with the nonrelativistic electrons of the core

The lifetimes, volume densities of energy, electron and ion densities and other parameters of ball lightning cores with the nonrelativistic electrons are estimated. The model according to which the motion of the electrons of the ball lightning core is the superposition of the oscillatory motion and the thermal motion in the directions perpendicular to those of the oscillations is proposed. Some problems related to isolation of the ball lightning core from the atmosphere and the transfer of the atmospheric pressure on it are considered.

An investigation of the generation and properties of laboratory-produced ball lightning

The experiments revealed that ball lightning is a self-confining quasi-neutral in a whole plasma system that rotates around its axis. Ball lightning has a structure of a spherical electric domain, consisting of a kernel with excess negative charge and an external spherical layer with excess positive charge. The excess of charges of one sort and the lack of charges of the other sort in the kernel or in the external spherical layer significantly reduces the possibility of electron capture by means of an electric field, created by the nearest ions and leads to a drastic slowdown of recombination process. Direct proof has been obtained that inside of ball lightning – in an external spherical layer that rotates around the axis – there is a circular current of sub-relativistic particles. This current creates and maintains its own poloidal magnetic field of ball lightning, i.e. it carries out the function of magnetic dynamo. The kernel of ball lightning is situated in a region with minimum values of induction of the magnetic field. The inequality of positive and negative charges in elements of ball lightning also significantly reduces losses of the charged plasma on bremsstrahlung. Ball lightning generation occurs in a plasmic vortex. The ball lightning energy in the region of its generation significantly differs from the ball lightning energy, which is drifting in space. The axial component of kinetic energy of particles slightly exceeds 100 keV and the rotational component of the ions energy is a bit greater than 1 MeV. Ball lightning is ‘embedded’ in atmosphere autonomous accelerator of charged particles of a cyclotron type due to self-generation of strong crossed electric and magnetic fields. A discussion of the conditions of stability and long-term existence of ball lightning is given.

Mass spectrometry of atmospheric-pressure ball plasmoids

Ball lightning is a naturally occurring atmospheric event that has perplexed researchers for centuries, and there is to date no complete explanation (chemical, physical, or otherwise) as to why ball lightning behaves the way that it does. There has been considerable effort to try to both produce and measure the properties of ball lightning type discharges over recent years, and this collected work has begun to reveal some interesting physical and chemical phenomena. We are able to produce water-based plasma ball discharges using high-voltage equipment, and these self-contained plasmoids are considered to be similar to natural ball lightning. In this article we present the first mass spectrometric analysis of water-based ambient ball plasmoids. Using an extremely simple sampling technique, we were able to detect several chemical species within the interior of the plasmoid. Several molecules that are common to plasmas generated in air were observed in the mass spectra, such as [NO2]+ and [NO3]+. More interestingly, we observed the protonated water clusters [(H2O)2H]+ and [(H2O)3H]+, ammonia (NH3) as a component of a copper cluster, and several anions. Furthermore, many species observed in the mass spectra are in the form of hydrated clusters.

The Ball of Lightning Structure and Creation

By studying a drop of water reaction and behavior on a hot surface while gradually increasing the surface temperature, and by making more experiments on the Leidenfrost Effect, the author explained the ball lightning structure and its dynamic release of energy through one single system of physics. The dynamic action starts when a drop of water is entered in an environment of 10000 oC temperature. The high temperature causes the water drop to form a rotating sphere which has a constant temperature of 99 oC. The sphere of water transforms all extra thermal energy affecting it’s constant temperature to gravity (experimental discovery), and while water sphere is rotating its center, its radius crosses the gravity field. So according to Fleming’s left hand rule, an electrical current in the water mass will be created. This electrical current will split the water molecule to oxygen and hydrogen which will burn outside the water sphere to create the needed thermo energy to continue the rotation of the water sphere and so on the production of gravity, thermal energy, electromagnetic field and light. Jaber’s law gives a new understanding of gravity and compares between stars and ball of lightning, and solves ambiguous matters in our understanding of stars, planets and moons behavior. The second step of understanding ball lightning structure led the author to build his theories, which explained the relation between gravity and temperature of objects, tying his theories with experimental discovery of repulsion between gravity and heat.

Charge on luminous bodies resembling natural ball lightning produced via electrical arcs through lump silicon.

A phenomenon resembling natural ball lightning can be produced via electrical arcing through silicon. We use lump silicon instead of silicon wafers to achieve higher production rates and larger, longer-lived luminous balls than previously reported. The luminous balls consist of a silicon core surrounded by a porous network of loosely bound silicon dioxide nanoparticles. We find that the balls carry a small net charge on the order of 10(-12) C and propose that the nanoparticles are electrostatically bound to the core due to this charge.

Ball Lightning With a Cover Filled by a Vapor

Creation of artificial ball lightning (BL) in gas discharges has been considered. Explosion of the experimental fireballs can be explained by an action of vapors inside them on the cover. Using these results, a model of a natural BL has been presented. The BL in it consists of a core filled by a vapor and a solid cover. Estimates of energy stored in the vapor of the melted material proved to be about those observed in high-energy BL.

High-Energy Ball Lightning Observations

The cases of ball lightning (BL) energy estimations when the energy density of its substance was greater than $10^{10}~$ J/ $\mathrm{m}^{3}$ are described. The high energy can be explained if one assumes that BL energy is a kinetic energy of elements of its core. It is shown that moving particles may be kept inside a heterogeneous system, composed of a unipolarly charged core and a dielectric cover.

Plasmoids for etching and deposition

In this manuscript we show fascinating properties of plasmoids, which are known to be self-sustained plasma entities, and can exist without being in contact with any power supply. Plasmoids are produced in a filamentary discharge in a Ar/CH4 mixture with a high production rate of about 105 s−1. It is observed that plasmoids etch the solid amorphous hydrocarbon film with high efficiency. Energy density of the plasmoid, which is estimated on the basis of glowing area of plasmoids in the photographic image and sublimation enthalpy of the etched hydrocarbon film, amounts to about 90 J m−3. This value is much lower than the energy density of observed ball lightning (natural plasmoid). A very surprising property is an attraction between plasmoids, and the formation of plasmoid-groups. Because of this attractive force, carbon material, which is collected in plasmoids by etching of the hydrocarbon film or by propagation through a methane/argon gas mixture, is compressed into crystals.

Initial Phase of a Large Atmospheric Plasmoid Generated Above a Water Surface

A water plasmoid in atmospheric pressure air with an autonomous phase of ~500 ms is formed from a discharge above a water surface, which is powered only for 150 ms. The plasma ball has a diameter of ~20 cm and is often referred to as the ball lightning phenomena. High speed cameras and optical spectra are used for diagnostic purposes. An image of the initial phase reveals the formation of the plasma ball from the inner electrode with streamers above the water surface.

ARE PERYTONS SIGNATURES OF BALL LIGHTNING?

The enigmatic downchirped signals, called "perytons", that are detected by radio telescopes in the GHz frequency range may be produced by an atmospheric phenomenon known as ball lightning (BL). If BLs act as nonstationary radiofrequency cavities, their characteristic emission frequencies and evolution time scales are consistent with peryton observations, and so are general patterns in which BLs are known to occur. Based on this evidence, testable predictions are made that can confirm or rule out a causal connection between perytons and BLs. In either case, how perytons are searched for in observational data may warrant reconsideration, for existing procedures may be discarding events that has the same nature as known perytons.