Re: Isotropic Capacity

To: tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: Isotropic Capacity
From: Tesla List <tesla-at-stic-dot-net>
Date: Fri, 23 May 1997 01:20:18 -0500
Approved: tesla-at-stic-dot-net

Subject: Re: Isotropic Capacity
  Date:  Fri, 23 May 1997 01:10:40 -0400 (EDT)
  From: richard hull <rhull-at-richmond.infi-dot-net>
    To: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>

At 05:20 PM 5/21/97 -0500, you wrote:
>Subject:  Re: Isotropic Capacity
>  Date:   Wed, 21 May 1997 10:07:57 -0500
>  From:   David Huffman <huffman-at-FNAL.GOV>
>    To:   Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
>
>
>OK
>The earth has an isotropic capacitance of about 712uF =
>4*pi*e0*radius, so about how much charge? Is it measured by the
>voltage difference between conductors at different elevations?

Dave,

The earth's atmosphere is charged as a separate item from the body
itself.
A two capacitor problem.  It is quite complex.  I have seen numbers
bandied
about but that is all I think they were.  The atmosphere is a separate
and
dynamic system from the earth considered as a ball in space.  There is a
true and real atmospheric gradient with increasing altitude.  This
gradient
is highly variable with weather, humidity, pressure etc.  A catch all
phrase
of 100 volts/meter is a tolerable average but deceptive.  I have noted
that
until one really clears the ground by 5-10 meters, this average is just
not
found.

Lots of neat experiments can be devised and tested with this natural
gradient.  This could begin by using some sort of ground based
conductive
tether, large lighter than air balloons with conductive skins.  In the
short
haul with modest euipment, such work is at least risky and hazardous. 
In
the extreme, the experiments could prove fatal.

Richard Hull, TCBOR