RE: Sparkles in the arcs

["Duke, Ronn (CCI-San Diego CCC)" <Ron.Duke-at-cox-dot-com> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)]

Ross,
Next time try some aluminum powder( at your local craft supply store), or
some magnesium shavings. Say, now that would be a show. Maybe for next years
Teslathon?

Ronn 
Dukester-at-home-dot-com

-----Original Message-----
From:	Tesla list [SMTP:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
Sent:	Sunday, August 27, 2000 11:50 PM
To:	tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject:	Sparkles in the arcs

Original poster: "Ross Overstreet" <ross-o-at-mindspring-dot-com> 

Hi,
I was playing around with building fires on top of my toroid this weekend
when I stumbled across an interesting effect.  Burning cardboard apparently
liberates lots of carbon particles that make bright sparkles in the brush
discharge of a TC running at low power levels.  My photo didn't turn out too
well, but you can get a rough idea of what I was seeing in the top photo on
my "arc pictures" page.
http://users.better-dot-org/roverstreet/Arc_pics/arcpics.html

I bet the effect would be really spectacular if you get a lot more carbon
(or whatever made the sparkles) into the air around the toroid.  To repeat
this, all you have to do is light the cardboard and place it on the edge of
the toroid.  Once it develops a small burned spot it will act as a corona
point.  It works best on the leeward side of the toroid.  Don't burn the
house (or woods) down.

Seeya,
Ross-O
http://users.better-dot-org/roverstreet/index.htm