Re: Ball Lightning - Easier than you think . . .

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

Original poster: "davep by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <davep-at-quik-dot-com>

> It is well known that plasma balls can be created in a microwave 
> oven.  A web search will turn up sites about it, but is it really 
> "ball lightning"?  There are lots of ways to create luminous balls, 
> from microwaves to shorting out circuits carrying large currents (as 
> discussed recently), but they may or may not be the same as natural 
> ball lighting.  Nobody yet knows what mechanism creates natural ball 
> lightning.  That is what the long discussions on this list have been 
> about.

	Concur in general, tho i suspect the 'switching large
	currents' balls are Very similar to 'wild' balls:
		The seem to last, to behave independent of
		power source.

	I'm less convinced by the uwave balls, as these have an
	ongoing power input.  One finds mention of similar
	form as early as 1930ish, BUT they:
		go OUT as soon as the Tx power is turned off

	and	are confined to a 'hot spot' (voltage peak)

	
	rather than wandering about the place.
	Pondering, tho, i think it possible that this needs
	VERY careful use of language to describe and report.
	Mayhap a uwave ball CAN light off a 'free' ball effect.

	(I would NOT recommend working with uncaged microwave
	ovens...)


	Is anyone aware of a professional, or pro-am BL

	forum/mailing list?  I've not found one...

	best
	dwp

...the net of a million lies...
	Vernor Vinge
There are Many Web Sites which Say Many Things.
	-me