RE: Terry's Test - Two Manifestations of Charge

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: Terry Fritz <teslalist@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Hi Dave,

At 06:31 PM 7/5/2005, you wrote:
> .......
>
> Before you break everything down, could you replace the tube with
> a similar rod of copper or aluminum?

I picked a copper pipe up today too because I knew someone was going to ask 
that ;-)))

The copper pipe produced the effect just fine:

http://hot-streamer.com/temp/DaveTest-20.jpg

> I'm wondering whether the
> displacement currents are peculiar to the gas tube or whether any
> conductor will pick them up.

Any conductor or sort of conductor should work fine.


> Also, could you try both the tube and the rod with their opposite
> ends grounded?

I think grounding the copper rod is a trivial case ;-))

I tried the tube but it was far too conductive and just shorted the spark 
to ground:

http://hot-streamer.com/temp/DaveTest-21.jpg

I tried wrapping the foil on the outside but it still was too conductive:

http://hot-streamer.com/temp/DaveTest-22.jpg

Maybe if the tube were old and had a poor gas seal it would have enough 
resistance to work.  If one were to hold it, that might provide enough 
resistance too.  Since the DRSSTC packs over 300 joules, I didn't feel like 
trying it ;-)

Of course, if most of the current is i2 current with little of i1 helping:

http://hot-streamer.com/temp/DaveTest.gif

we can just remove the toroid to rod wire all together:

http://hot-streamer.com/temp/DaveTest-23.jpg

Now it is much more obvious what is going on.  I had to turn the power down 
since it kept wanting to arc over, but it is easy to get it to where just 
the floating rod arcs to the ground wire.

Cheers,

        Terry



> Thanks,
>
> Dave