Please correct an error on Sciencing.com, Physics of Plasma Globes
I happened on a nicely done study of the plasma ball. The filaments are re-created every cycle. They start as spherically symmetric (probably depending on the roughness of the sphere they use) and then extend outward at fast but finite speed. Each cycle, the tendrils (that is the most common name so far) follow the previous paths. The gas is near atmospheric pressure.
The number of filaments depends on the frequency. And the peak is about 20 KiloHertz (depends on the ball and its voltage and composition of the gases).
Study of the Formation and Motion of Plasma Globe Filaments with High Frequency Photography by Mike Campanell
Measurements of the Motion of Filaments in a Plasma Ball by Campanell, Laird, Provost, Vasquez, Zweben
With the relatively low cost of the tools used in these studies, except for the camera. This is a pretty good introduction to many aspects of “gaseous conductors” and “electrical conduction in gases”.
On filament structure and propagation within a commercial plasma globe by Burin ,Simmons, Deja, Zeben, Nagy, Brunkhorst
Some interesting background Final Report: Structure and Behavior of RF-Driven Plasma Filaments in High-Pressure Gases
Cold plasma poration and corrugation of pumpkin seed coats by Alexander G. Volkov, Jewel S. Hairston, Darayas Patel, Ryan P. Gott, Kunning G. Xu
Filamentary plasma discharge inside water – initiation and propagation of a plasma in a dense medium by Paul Ceccato
In high voltage power transmission cable insulation, there are tendrils or dendrites called “water trees” or “electric treeing” that form. They look like the negative discharges from Paul Ceccato’s thesis
Full-Wave Simulation of High-Frequency Electromagnetic Propagation Through Inhomogeneous Plasma by Thomas Williams
Laser Filamentation Interaction With Materials For Spectroscopic Applications by Matthew R Weidman
Electrical treeing
Water treeing in Middle Voltage cables
Hello,
Today, I was putting together a model of “plasma balls”, those toys. Recently I was going over “ball lightning”.
How Does a Plasma Ball Work? by Jonathan Marker
Change
“A plasma ball is essentially a miniature Tesla coil channeling an alternating voltage of about 2-5 kilovolts at a frequency of about 30 Hertz, enclosed within a glass ball containing an inert gas such as neon or argon.”
to
“A plasma ball is essentially a miniature Tesla coil channeling an alternating voltage of about 2-5 KiloVolts at a frequency of about 30 KiloHertz, enclosed within a glass ball containing an inert gas such as neon or argon.”
Comment: Since the electric field and electron current are primarily one way, I wonder if it is alternating in the sense you suppose.
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Errors:
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