Re: Streamer Behavior

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Metlicka Marc by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <mystuffs-at-orwell-dot-net>

Malcolm my friend,

Tesla list wrote:
> 
> Original poster: "Malcolm Watts by way of Terry Fritz
<twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <m.j.watts-at-massey.ac.nz>
> 
> Hello Marc,
> 
> On 20 Dec 2001, at 20:17, Tesla list wrote:
> 
> > Original poster: "Metlicka Marc by way of Terry Fritz
> <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <mystuffs-at-orwell-dot-net>
> >
> >
> >
> > Tesla list wrote:
> > >
> > > Original poster: "Malcolm Watts by way of Terry Fritz
> > <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <m.j.watts-at-massey.ac.nz>
> > >
> > >
> > > After some experiments a while ago I came to the conclusion that
> > > buried in a strong power dependence there is a weak sparklength
> > > dependence on output voltage and (separately) charge availability at
> > > the terminal.
> >
> > STRONG POWER DEPENDENCE IS THE DECIDING FACTOR OF THE SIZE OF THE "ION
> > CLOUD" OR THE CHARGE AT DISTANCE FROM SOURCE. this is easily recognized
> > as, the higher the energy density at distance "X", the easier the
> > discharge streamer to form and progress to length.
> 
> Please desist from shouting

No shouting intended, sticky keys and fat fingers, i apologize.

 With reference to that first statement,
> I have to ask "is it?". I have observed a ball of faint streamers
> spreading in all directions from a spherical topload on top of a coil
> operated in single shot mode just below the point we would normally
> consider breakout. I am not alone in observing this. The "ball" was
> nearly three feet in diameter. Ep was somewhere around 2J. It made no
> difference whether the coil was run at 1BPS or 0.1 BPS. No power
> dependence there.

Ahh, but wasn't it still power dependent? I to have seen faint streamers
coming from an aluminum ladder five feet away from a topload of a
detuned coil with no breakout at all. I have some on film. To bad we
don't have a camera that can show the size, shape, density of the
e-field of our coils?
The edge of the topload is the starting point of where the charging of
the air starts, much like how a small coil may not give anything
noticeable at all until a grounded rod brought into vicinity
concentrates these charged particles into a streamed direction and gives
an arc.


 It was observed on every shot. BTW - it was only
> observed in an incredibly dark room and I have not seen it on other
> coils. To say it was a magical sight is an understatement.

I've also have had the pleasure of seeing this, very nice!

Marc M.

> 
> > >     I remember a story from Richard Hull once on testing a coil. The
> > > nub of it was that at some power (about 6kW I think), he was seeing 2
> > > -3' streamers. With power increased by a single kW to about 7,
> > > "suddenly the 8-footers were there".
> >
> >  Maybe 1kw just enough to supplement charge those first three feet in
> > the surrounding "ION CLOUD" or charged area? This "MUST" depend on
> > topload shape! The charge density shape and direction, of different
> > topload shapes cannot be dismissed.
> 
> Agreed after a fashion. I haven't yet observed the fore-mentioned
> phenomenon when using a toroidal topload.
>      I must also observe with reference to Richard's story that the
> best coils I've built connect to objects a very noticeable distance
> beyond visible air streamer length and I suspect this is what Richard
> was seeing.
> 
> Regards,
> Malcolm