Re: A&E Tesla coil, and Mind Freak. (fwd)

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: <davep@xxxxxxxx>


>> A)  "walks out" by first hitting close to the coil, and this ionizes  a
>> bit of air further out which allows the next discharge to go to a  more
>> distant ground,  and this process repeats until some function of
>> resistance of the ionized air path versus voltage and power dictates
>> that it can't extend any more?   If not... then I don't see how
>> multiple discharges would increase the distance if the first
>> discharge has to make the full distance...  because discharge(1)
>> won't know that discharge(2) through discharge(n) are following."

>     Exactly so.  Have you ever tried blowing on streamers (from a
> safe distance of course) and watching them move?  Moves the ionized
> path around.
    Yep.
    cf any good article on lighting.
    That's how lightning gets the distance: step step step,
    fast enough so as not to be seen by the human eye, needs
    a camera.

    Its interesting that Tesla, in the CSN, discussion of plates XI
    thru XIV, and elsewhere describes
      ....single closnigs of the switch...
   which i take to be attempts to get single shot distance,
   as distinct from the multi shot, longer...

    best
     dwp