St. Elmo's Fire

To: tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com
Subject: St. Elmo's Fire
From: Tesla List <tesla-at-stic-dot-net>
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 22:45:19 -0500
Approved: tesla-at-stic-dot-net
Subject:  St. Elmo's Fire
  Date:   Tue, 22 Apr 97 13:54:57 EDT
  From:   pierson-at-ggone.ENET.dec-dot-com
  
        


[marginally off subject]

>What is St. Elmo's Fire?
        Not sure it has ever been hundred percent resolved.  In the
context
        of this list, it generally refers to a 'glow' appearing around
objects,
        usually conductors, usually at sea, usually in the days of old
sailing
        ships.  Sometimes seen on a/c surfaces, The big Zeps, etc.

        Almost certainly a case of corona, electrical breakdown of the
'air',
        in a gentler fashion than a spark, per se.  Its not obvious, but
there
        is a constant field of roughly 200-300v/m in the natural
environment.
        In case of storm, esp. thunderstorm, this rises drastically. 
When it
        rises far enough, a visible glow (usually visible only in dim
light)
        can occur.

>I think it has something to do with Nikola Tesla.
        Tesla worked a lot with high voltages.  These tend to produce
        coronas, which look a lot like (and probably are) St Elmo's
Fire.

(St Elmo had some duties as patron saint of seamen, so the discharge was
associated with his name.)

=========================
Marginally more on track:
>.... Ball Lightning....
        An odd subject.  Some scientists still question its existence,
others
        consider it real, but poorly understood.  Tesla created what he
        carefully called 'fireballs' (perhaps so as not to be claiming
Ball
        Lightning, per se?) during his Colorado Springs work.  As i
recall this
        was from a magnifier configuration.  The Corum's replicated &
got video
        images that look and act like BL.  I'm sure there's been more
work
        since.

        (hint......8)>>)

        regards
        dwp