NDLI: Solid-core model of ball lightning

Content Provider	IEEE Xplore Digital Library
Author	Muldrew, D.B.
Copyright Year	1996
Description	Author affiliation: Communication Res. Centre, Ottawa, Ont., Canada (Muldrew, D.B.)
Abstract	Summary form only given. Ball lightning (BL) is assumed to have a solid, positively charged core at its center. The large amount of energy occasionally associated with BL is mainly due to the electrostatic (ES) energy of the charge on the core. The upper energy limit is determined by the size and strength of the core and this energy can be a few orders of magnitude greater than the energy which can be confined by atmospheric pressure alone. A pure electron layer and a plasma layer surround the core. An electromagnetic (EM) field is completely trapped by the electron and plasma layers. The electron temperature is sufficiently high that absorption of the EM field by electron-ion collisions is small, enabling the ball to have a lifetime of seconds or more. The ponderomotive force (radiation pressure) of the trapped EM field balances the ES force of attraction of the electrons toward the core plus the atmospheric force. In the solid charged-core model of BL, a small amount of energy is confined by the atmosphere but for energetic balls, nearly all of the energy is confined by the strength (molecular bonding energy) of the core. Consider a core with a positive electric charge distributed over its surface, as would be the case for a metallic or conductive core. The positive charge produces an outward repulsive electrostatic force over the surface tending to tear the core apart. The virial theorem applies to the core.
File Size	134074
File Format	PDF
ISBN	0780333225
ISSN	07309244
DOI	10.1109/PLASMA.1996.550671
Language	English
Publisher	Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
Publisher Date	1996-06-03
Publisher Place	USA
Access Restriction	Subscribed
Rights Holder	Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
Subject Keyword	Solid modeling Lightning Plasma confinement Plasma temperature Electrostatics Atmospheric-pressure plasmas Electromagnetic radiation Electron traps Electromagnetic fields Electromagnetic forces
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics Condensed Matter Physics Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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