Re: Color Fades in discharges

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Mike" <induction@xxxxxxxxxxx>

Hi Steve,
               The electrode material is stainless. We do not dry or 
filter the air
into the discharge area so it has normal water vapor and content.
Regarding the water vapor, the only factor seems to be a longer
pump down time on a humid day, as the water vapor is the largest vacuum
system load. You could be right in the N2 fixing with the 3db signal reduction.
The Hydrogen alpha band head is always there even in sprite spectra at 75
Km high. The pressure hangs in the same general area gray color or normal 
color.
I think the most interesting thing being the color of the discharge will 
return with
a very tiny pulse of fresh air. That's why we ended up using a constant 
leak and
steady pumping. Why the discharge goes further in zapped air (well after it 
should
no longer be ionized) after a turn off and restart of zap is beyond me 
though. I mean
on order of minutes. Strange.
Mike

----- Original Message ----- From: "Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, December 13, 2004 10:09 AM
Subject: RE: Color Fades in discharges


> Original poster: "Steve Conner" <steve.conner@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> Hi Mike,
>
> That's a very interesting problem. From the chemistry of the situation, we
> know that the only things in air that can get "burned" are nitrogen and
> oxygen. The oxygen reacts with the electrode material, so for instance a
> copper electrode might get covered in a film of copper oxide and that takes
> oxygen out of the air.
>
> Also, the oxygen and nitrogen can react to produce nitrogen oxides, which
> react with any water present to produce nitric acid. (The fact that you get
> a hydrogen line suggests that there is water vapour present) This takes
> nitrogen and oxygen out of the air.
>
> The fact that the nitrogen spectral lines are down by half suggests that at
> least half the nitrogen has been fixed. So I guess whatever is glowing grey
> in your tube is whatever is left over. I seem to remember that the glow
> colour for oxygen is greyish white, but then again, I would expect the
> oxygen to get "burned" first.
>
> The fact that "burned" air sustains discharges to a lower voltage is
> probably because the air pressure will fall as more gas is converted to
> liquid and solid compounds that take up much less space.
>
>
> Steve C.