Re: Plasmoid (Ball Lightening) with a microwave resonator

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

Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <Mddeming-at-aol-dot-com>

In a message dated 3/3/03 9:50:21 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
tesla-at-pupman-dot-com writes:

>Original poster: "Harvey Norris by way of Terry Fritz 
><teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <harvich-at-yahoo-dot-com>
>
>Apparently J. Naudin of France, (an eminent
>experimentalist with many web pages) has been able to
>use pencil lead, (graphite) to produce a stable
>plasmoid, ( Ball Lightening?).  He uses a microwave
>and the standard Tesla coil quarterwavelength method
>to achieve this. At
>http://jlnlabs.imars-dot-com/plasma/gmr/index.htm
>he notes the following;
>The frequency of the magnetron is 2.45 GHz, its wave
>length is l = 12.2 cm, this gives the height of the
>1/4 wave microwave antenna : l/4 = 3 cm
>
>This looks like an easily reproducible experiment if
>the materials were available.(pyrex glass globe might
>be a problem) The page is nicely done.
>HDN


Hi Harvey, All,

        I have to agree that "The page is nicely done" and his methodology 
and observations are laid out in much more detail than most amateur 
researchers. But that's as far as it goes.
        I fail to see what a 1/4 wavelength graphite antenna has to do with 
"standard Tesla coil quarterwavelength method", since there is no coil. It 
is well-known that:
1. Any vertical antenna will have a Max voltage point at 1/4 wave above its 
ground plane.
2. Conductive material placed in a microwave oven will produce an arc.
This is a good demonstration to show why you shouldn't put conductors in a 
microwave oven, and the effect of standing waves on an antenna, but it is 
still a far cry from an experiment in ball lightning production. There is 
no ball suspended in the air. What I see instead is the tip of the rod 
being consumed by the heat and high voltage arc, i.e., a very expensive arc 
lamp.
( I will probably use this demo on microwave oven safety in next summer's 
science camp.)
    Just what is your criteria for the honorific "a eminent 
experimentalist"? Based on his own published profile on AOL, (see copy 
below) it sounds more like Mr. Naudin is a self-directed delver into 
pseudoscience. (Free-Energy, Overunity, ZPE, Electro-Gravity), without 
portfolio.

Matt D.