Cyclotron effect

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

Original poster: "Paul Nicholson by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <paul-at-abelian.demon.co.uk>

If a beam of charged particles was launched upwards from the center
of the toroid, they would continue straight up, unaffected by
the B field (since beam v x B is zero).

But at any angle from the vertical they would form themselves into
a spiral (ish) path since v x B is now generally non-zero. If they
emerged horizontally from the toroid, they would curve either
upwards or downwards depending on the sign of their charge and the
B field polarity (assuming here that E is roughly radial from the
topload).

Could this cyclotron mechanism also affect the path over which a
streamer forms?  Do the electrons in the leaders see a sufficient
v x B force to make a noticeable difference to their path?

Can this account for the observed spiral discharges?

Assuming electrons are the sole candidates for being affected (due
to their lightness and relative mobility compared to the ionised
atoms) we should see the spirals form in opposite directions on
alternate half cycles, due to reversal of B.

Do the observed spirals appear to rotate both ways?

For an order of magnitude we can easily put forward a value for B,
but does anyone have a guess for v?

If the spiral streamers tend to be entirely or mostly in one
direction does that direction reverse if you replace the secondary
with an identical one wound in the opposite direction?

If the toroid is connected to another smaller toroid, displaced some
way to the side of the coil, such that the streamers relocate to it,
do they retain the spiral effect?

A couple of experiments there to add to the ever expanding list.

Is it worth computing the trajectory of a charged particle leaving
the toroid?  We know E and B for the region, but what about v? 

And has anyone used one of those little NIB magnets as a breakout
point?  Wrapped in foil perhaps?
--
Paul Nicholson
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