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Masters Theses
Date of Award
8-2004
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Major
Electrical Engineering
Major Professor
Igor Alexeff
Committee Members
Douglas J Birdwell, Paul B Crilly
Abstract
A form of ball lightning was generated in the laboratory. Plasma spheres several centimeters in diameter were produced in atmospheric pressure air. These spheres persisted up to ½ a second after power turn –off. A mathematical model was derived that predicts the observed lifetime. The theory predicts that the sphere lifetime should scale as the radius squared, which means large spheres should exist for many seconds. We also generated ball lightning in a zero gravity environment. The object was to eliminate convection, which had been observed to reduce the size of a ball generated by a two – dimensional electric arc. The result was large balls that survived the duration of the experiment – about ½ second.
Recommended Citation
Sriram, Madras Parameswaran, "An Experimental Model of Ball Lightning. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 2004.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/2204