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Re: single shot
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To: tesla-at-grendel.objinc-dot-com
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Subject: Re: single shot
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From: ed-at-alumni.caltech.edu (Edward V. Phillips)
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Date: Sun, 19 Nov 1995 08:32:06 -0800
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Re: Growth of Arcs
My experience is that it "takes time" for the discharge to
form. Of the order of fractions of a second with the small coil I
am playing with now. When I first power it up the streamers grow
for a short time, then "wave around" until they hit the ground
ball (terminal), at which time there is a "white arc". Blowing
on the toroid with my breath is enough to move the streamers
around, indicating that there are ion columns in the air which
grow with time, just as leaders with lightning strokes do.
With regard to "single shot" operation, by reducing the
primary voltage on the neon xformer with a Variac, I can get
just a few sparks per second, at which point the discharge is
much shorter.
Ed Phillips