Sparks and temperature

To: tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com
Subject: Sparks and temperature
From: Tesla List <tesla-at-stic-dot-net>
Date: Wed, 07 May 1997 00:26:04 -0500
Approved: tesla-at-stic-dot-net

Subject:  Sparks and temperature
  Date:   Tue, 6 May 1997 19:38:42 +0100
  From:   "V C Watts" <V.C.Watts-at-btinternet-dot-com>
    To:   "Tesla List" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>

Please excuse any protocol anomalies as this is my first response to any
group and I only joined the list a few days ago.
I have only ever wound an induction coil and made a wimshurst electric
machine so the one or two inch sparks are very small fry.  But I'm now
inspired to build a tesla coil hence I have a lot of reading to do.

On Mon, 5 May 1995 12:49:00 +0500
<alfred.skrocki-at-cybernetworking-dot-com> wrote
If you take a neon sign transformer and connect it to an adjustable gap
and
set it just to where a spark can't jump then hold a match several inches
under the gap a spark will immediately jump the gap and continue to arc
until the match is removed, then it will stop.

The suggestion was that the heat cause the gap to spark.  Is it not
possible the cloud of electrons around the flame would be ionizing the
air
and helping the conductive path.

Regards

Viv Watts