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Re: [TCML] Would a Tesla coil work in a vaccum?

Hey Greg...
One of the main reasons behind the various colors of streamer discharges is dependent upon the voltage applied in the streamer and the mix of gasses being affected. As a voltage is applied to a gas, it forces the electrons to orbits ( paths) further out than they would normally be moving in. Once this voltage is reduced or removed, the orbit the electron is in cannot keep itself there any longer. As the electron "decays" back to its proper orbit, it releases the energy as a photon. That photon has a specific energy value for its specific orbit. The photons energy is released as light at a very specific wavelength. BUT since there are many voltages present in a streamer, the electrons are being forced into several different orbits and are then releasing several different wavelengths of color. This is why most streamers have the bluish/purple ultra violet hues( nitrogen based). As far as Jacob Ladders creating hues of orange, red, etc, that is primarily due to the metals that become ionized from the upright electrodes being mixed with the air in the path of the voltage stream.
Some cameras are very sensitive to ultra violet spectrum and some are to infra red, they see colors we cant.
The color of an electron? hmmm depending on its elevated energy state any color of the rainbow i suppose ;) 

Scot D


G Hunter wrote:


From: Bill Noble <william_b_noble@xxxxxxx>
sparks can  only be visible when
there is matter in the intervening space to be
ionized.  In a perfect vacuum, there would be no
visible sparks or plasma

--------------------------------------------------


Hi Bill,

Interesting stuff, which raised still more questions in my slowly calcifying, middle-aged brain.  For example, why are Tesla coil sparks the color they are?  Presumably, ionized air contributes the color.  But if that's all there is to it, why aren't all TC sparks the same color?  Even in my own coils, I've observed discharges of violet, violet-white, purple, blue, and various shades of blue-white.  Likewise, Jacob's ladder sparks are orange and flaming, while TC spark gap sparks are intense blue-white.  How can an ionized 80/20 Nitrogen/Oxygen mix at 1 atm glow at so many different colors?  Is it just a matter of temperature?  What about impurities?  I suppose the JL uprights might contribute metal ions and metal vapor, which could explain the dramatic color difference.

Oddly, what the camera sees and what I see don't always agree.  Sparks that look blue-white to me may render as violet in photographs, or vice-versa.  This is troubling as my cameras and I tend to agree very well on the colors of other subjects.  Why the disagreement on the color of TC discharges?

Regarding the ultra-high vacuum situation:  what about a thermionic electron tube?  Is a visible discharge inside such a tube possible?  I'm assuming the answer is "no", but what about a very high current through a hard vacuum?  Still invisible?  I guess I'm just fishing around for an answer to the ultimate question:  What color is an electron???

Greg



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