amazing plasma pattern on water surface

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Original poster: William Beaty <billb@xxxxxxxxxx>


Hey coilers, here's a weird video I stumbled across on Google Video while
searching on keyword "magnet"

  Marcus Wagner HF/HVDC plasma experiments
  http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4680748584391259974

It appears to be a flyback SSTC arcing to water, perhaps with a neodymium
magnet immersed in the water.  The lower white blotch appears to be a
water reflection of the hotspot on the HV electrode.  But look at that
plasma bulls-eye pattern on the water surface!  Cool, eh?  He also lists
http://www.flickr.com/photos/18346774@N00/archives/date-posted/2006/01/ ,
which shows a 2-FET schematic for his SSTC as well as closeups of the
"plasma disk."

Later in the video there are some moving particles orbiting the magnet.
That's probably easily explained: the sphere and disk appear to be two
different metals, so there probably is an electrolysis current in the
water surrounding them.  (Is it salt water?  To get the plasma disk
effect, is salt water required?)  Anyhow, the motion of the underwater
detrius would be a very easily-made demo of MagnetoHydroDynamics.


(((((((((((((((((( ( (  (   (    (O)    )   )  ) ) )))))))))))))))))))
William J. Beaty                http://staff.washington.edu/wbeaty/
beaty@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx       Research Engineer
billb@xxxxxxxxxx                UW Chem Dept,  Bagley Hall RM74
206-543-6195                    Box 351700, Seattle, WA 98195-1700