Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
The famous scientist N. Tesla (Tesla and Childress
1993
) and the Nobel prize-
winner Russian scientist P. L. Kapitsa (
1955
,
1969
) considered natural BL as a long-
lived high-energetic structural plasma object (or a microwave [MW] plasmoid). BL
theoretical models and experimental approaches based on a concept of the plasma
vortex are very popular among many scientists up to the present (Avaramenko et al.
1994
; Bychkov et al.
2010
;Tar
2010
;Vlasov
2006
). Starting from the 1970s (latter
twentieth century), a great number of experiments have been made on the different
kinds of the vortex plasmoids (Tesla and Childress
1993
).
These investigations were undertaken on realization of energy transportation for
long distances and ball lightning analogues for possible aerodynamic applications
(Avaramenko et al.
1994
; Mirabo et al.
2001
; Klimov
2009
). These works created
a basis for new scientific disciplines, called plasma aerodynamics and plasma
combustion, which are intensively developing now (Avaramenko et al.
1994
;
Klimov
2009
). Nowadays, investigations in these areas allow us to pose questions
and find answers to phenomena connected with the nature of BL, unknown flying
objects, St. Elmo's fire, and other plasma objects created in the lower troposphere.
We want to note that the artificial stable microwave (MW) plasmoid was obtained
by Kapitsa in swirl gas flow. This MW plasmoid had unusual physical properties
close to the observed properties of natural ball lightning. Let us indicate some of
them:
1. Strong collective properties of the charged and the excited particles and the
collective interaction between them;
2. Anomalous optical spectra (absorption of some optical lines by plasmoid,
dissipation, and absence of the optical lines of testing deuterium gas);
3. Extremely
high level
of
ultraviolet
(UV)
radiation power
(so-called UV-
catastrophe (Kapitsa
1969
));
4. Extremely high plasma parameters: electron temperature
T
e
> 10
5
K and electron
concentration
N
e
> 10
15
cm
3
;
5. High efficiency of the MW energy conversion to plasma energy;
6. Neutron flux and others.
Kapitsa's hypothesis of the BL physical model is based on the combination of
standing microwaves and swirl flow. He was certain that studies of the artificial
plasmoid created in the laboratory help us to clarify BL physics. What is the
role of swirl flow in the stable plasmoid creation in his experiment? The answer
to this question was not given in his theoretical model and was left for further
investigations. Now this question is studied in our work in detail.
First, let us clarify the notation “plasmoid” as used in this work.
1. The notation “plasmoid” is defined as a high-density plasma formation, con-
sisting of excited and charged particles [including charged cluster ions, dusty
particles, quasi-particles (holes, excitations, plasmons, etc., in special conditions
with participation of the solid phase), cluster particles in the plasma stabilized by
strong collective forces acting between them.
