Fusion Message Board

In this space, visitors are invited to post any comments, questions, or skeptical observations about Philo T. Farnsworth's contributions to the field of Nuclear Fusion research.

Subject: Re: An interesting benefit to pulsed fusors
Date: Nov 18, 9:44 pm
Poster: Tom Ligon

On Nov 18, 9:44 pm, Tom Ligon wrote:

>I think that ball lightning is a plasmoid that has trapped EM modes. Thermal pressure in the core expanding the plasma outward causes a frequency shift that wants to contract the plasmoid- plasma tied in a knot. (Something like a ferro-resonant transformer?) If this is the case, it might be possible to beam microwaves at the plasmoid and have a stronger beam reflect off, as in a negative-resistant amplifier. Or just tap as much energy off as possible without damping the oscillations.
>
I had a chance to talk to Paul Koloc, who claims the "spheromak" design was his and Princeton stole it from him. Later, he figured out that, once established, you could eliminate the physical container of a spheromak and the plasma would hardly notice. He realized that ball lightning might be a spheromak plasma without the confining device. The energy storage mechanism is primarily magnetic, so it can pass thru glass windowpanes.

I note that the spheromak/ball lightning model also resembles the Bergman electron.

Tom Ligon