Natural and Artificial Ball Lightning in the Earth’s Atmosphere

446 Pages·2022·11.173 MB·English

by  Vladimir L. Bychkov

Springer Atmospheric Sciences
Vladimir L. Bychkov
Natural and
Artificial Ball
Lightning in
the Earth’s
Atmosphere
Springer Atmospheric Sciences
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Vladimir L. Bychkov
Natural and Artificial Ball
Lightning in the Earth’s
Atmosphere
Vladimir L. Bychkov
Faculty of Physics
Lomonosov Moscow State University
Moscow, Russia
ISSN 2194-5217 ISSN 2194-5225 (electronic)
Springer Atmospheric Sciences
ISBN 978-3-031-07860-6 ISBN 978-3-031-07861-3 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07861-3
Translation from the Russian language edition: “Natural and Artificial Ball Lightning in the Earth’s
Atmosphere” by Vladimir L. Bychkov, © MAKS Press 2021. Published by MAKS Press. All Rights
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Preface
The book is called “Natural and artificial ball lightning in the Earth’s atmosphere”
because it is devoted to long-lived luminous formations of both natural and artificial
origin. The first is generally accepted name—ball lightning (BL); the second is
long-lived luminous objects (LLO), usually obtained in laboratories in experiments
with various kinds of discharges or combustible substances, and also more rarely in
devices used in everyday life.
The term LLO—more corresponds to the object than the frequently used term
“plasmoid”, or artificial BL. It contains at least two properties that distinguish this
object from a number of natural and artificial objects: a long lifetime and glow.
It separates these objects from “plasmoids”, the properties of which are not clearly
defined, and the name contains the word plasma, which makes this object supposedly
known.
Natural BL has a large number of observable properties, and it is obviously unclear
which of them is the main. Using the term LLO for them highlights glowing objects.
The term “long-lived object” also requires decoding. It is an object with an existence
time greater or comparable to the minimum time of object perception by observers.
The words about atmospheric pressure emphasize the conditions for the appear-
ance of these objects and separate them from the multitude of objects realized in
experiments in gas discharge and beam plasma at reduced pressure and in various
gases other than air.
The joint consideration of objects under the term LLO emphasizes the need for
a comprehensive study of complex objects of artificial and natural origin. It was the
study of the properties of LLO in the twentieth-twenty-first centuries that allowed a
better understanding of the possibility of experimentally modeling BL analogues.
The problem of BL exists for quite a long time. For decades, it has aroused great
interest among people. There was always a small group of brave scientists who,
based on the latest scientific achievements was trying to explain this rather rare and
“rather simple” compared, for example, with the linear lightning phenomenon, so far,
all attempts by this group to unravel this phenomenon are considered unsuccessful,
since everyone expects from them a recipe or implementation of this object with all
its anomaly parameters.
v
vi Preface
It has even become commonplace to use in the media the phrase “ BL not solved
by science.” That is a strange problem that humanity for some reason cannot or
does not want to solve, while the nature of space and time, black holes, and dark
energy is already generally clear. At the same time, the most unpleasant thing is that,
unlike these super-fundamental and generally safe for ordinary people phenomena,
BL often commits real destruction of surrounding objects, is the cause of injuries
and deaths of people and animals. Maybe it would be better to postpone the study of
this object for later, until better times. Is it possible to stop taking this phenomenon
seriously at all, in connection with declaring it a physical or physiological illusion,
and to put cases of death and injuries under the cloth? However, this is actually how
it happens. Instead of looking at this situation as nature’s indication of the need to
search for a new paradigm, or return to the paradigm of the nineteenth century, and
involve additional researchers and finance in the study of BL, support for research
on this phenomenon has practically ceased.
Nevertheless, enthusiasts are conducting research in the following areas.
Collection and statistical analysis of observations showed that BL or LLO is not
only phenomena associated with thunderstorm conditions but also with geophys-
ical anomalous phenomena in the atmosphere and ocean. They are a much broader
phenomenon than is commonly believed.
Experimental modeling of LLO and similar objects. Analysis of the results of
earlier experimental studies that are not described within the framework of existing
approaches and paradigms.
Creation of theoretical models that allow to explain many properties of LLO or BL
and present them as objects of physical vacuum realized in anomalous conditions.
This book is devoted to the coverage of these topics. The material is presented
concisely, with the idea that a particular researcher will find in this book the right
direction of research or references to literature and will avoid trivial mistakes in
research.
The book consists of five chapters. The first chapter is devoted to the historical
facts of BL research. Its purpose is to present to the public scientists who have made a
significant contribution to research on LLO and BL. I would like to show real heroes
of this complex science.
The second chapter presents data on the natural LLO and BL. It contains obser-
vations describing the usual and unusual properties of BL in different physical,
geographical, and geophysical conditions. These events are usually not presented in
a single collection. However, such a collection of data shows that BL is not such a
rare phenomenon, as it is commonly believed.
The third chapter presents statistical data on the BL properties and the results of
modern statistical analysis of a number of BL properties.
The fourth chapter is devoted to the description of numerous studies on the labora-
tory production of LLO. The presentation shows that currently there are a number of
experimental methods leading to the creation of LLO with properties close to those
of natural BL, i.e., the problem of experimental production of artificial BL analogues
of several types is practically solved.
Preface vii
In the fifth chapter, we briefly describe the BL theories, allowing us to look at this
phenomenon from different positions, but the main properties of anomalous BL are
their high energy and long lifetime.
I want to thank my wonderful friends and comrades, enthusiasts and colleagues,
research partners, and co-authors of the book. I grieve for the departed researchers
who were close friends over life.
I thank Prof. B. M. Smirnov for introducing me to this problem challenging
the scientific community, and instilling in me a persistent interest in it. Being an
outstanding scientist, he constantly oversees and amicably supports BL research.
I thank Prof. A. F. Alexandrov, who for more than 30 years stimulated the
BL research at the Department of Physical Electronics of the Physical Faculty of
Lomonosov Moscow State University. Looking historically, Moscow University
should have been actively engaged in these studies, since M. V. Lomonosov was
the world’s first researcher of BL and the university’s duty to him is to unravel the
nature of this phenomenon.
I sincerely thank Academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences,
DS A. I. Nikitin, and Corresponding Member of this Academy Dr. T. F. Nikitina.
Communication with them and joint research brought me a lot of knowledge, sincere,
and friendly warmth. Without discussion with A. I. Nikitin, many sections of this
book would not have appeared, for which I thank him very much.
I thank the Academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, prof. A. I.
Klimov, with whom we have traveled many roads together in the analysis of complex
phenomena, obtaining analogues of BL, LLO, low-temperature plasma, and plasma
aerodynamics.
I remember with special warmth the untimely passing of the remarkable experi-
mental scientist S. E. Emelin, without whose work a new direction of experimental
BL research would not have taken place.
I thank Dr. G. C. Dijkhuis (the Netherlands). Being a good theoretician and
experimentalist, he is always interested in BL research. He helps scientists in every
way to establish international scientific contacts and finance their participation in
international forums.
I thank Dr. A. G. Keul (Austria) for his hard work in the collection and analysis of
ball lightning observations, friendly attitude to Eastern colleagues, and the provided
help during the most difficult period of the 90s of the twentieth century.
I thank Prof. I. I. Esakov and Prof. A. L. Kuranov for their constant assistance in
finding funds for BL research and all friendly support during research. I also thank
Dr. J. Tishkov (USA) and Dr. Gill Won Suh (Korea) for their support of BL and LLO
research and the holding of international symposia in Russia.
I am sincerely grateful to my family members, my wife Nataliya, and my sons
Andrey and Dmitry, who for more than 30 years have constantly, selflessly, and
uncomplainingly helped me both in research and in writing the book; otherwise, it
would not have been born.
Moscow, Russia Vladimir L. Bychkov
January 2022
Contents
1 Long-Lived Luminous Formations (LLO), Ball Lightning
(BL), and Their Researches ..................................... 1
1.1 A Bit of History ........................................... 2
1.1.1 Collection and Analysis of Observational Data
on BL in Russia ................................... 16
1.2 Conclusion to the Chapter .................................. 29
References ..................................................... 29
2 Observation Data on BL Events ................................. 31
2.1 BL Energy ............................................... 32
2.2 The Appearance of BL ..................................... 48
2.3 External Features of the BL ................................. 56
2.3.1 Size, Color, and Shape of the BL ..................... 56
2.3.2 Complex Structures ................................ 79
2.3.3 BL in the Form of a Thread or a Harness .............. 89
2.4 Electrical Manifestations of BL .............................. 98
2.5 Interaction of BL with Various Objects ....................... 109
2.5.1 Interaction of the BL with the Tree ................... 121
2.6 Interaction of BL with Glass ................................ 127
2.7 Injuries and Death of Observers and Animals When
Exposed to BL ............................................ 147
2.8 Moving Objects When Exposed to BL ........................ 170
2.9 BL Meeting with Airplanes ................................. 175
2.9.1 BL and the Sea .................................... 203
2.10 BL and Geotectonic Events ................................. 213
2.10.1 Luminous Formations Generated by Geotectonic
Activity .......................................... 213
2.10.2 BL in Japan ....................................... 225
2.10.3 Artifacts and Various Traces of BL ................... 227
2.10.4 Geophysical Phenomena and BL ..................... 231
2.10.5 Luminous Objects of Hessdalen ...................... 244
ix
x Contents
2.10.6 Local Heating of Objects ............................ 245
2.10.7 Gelly-Like Meteors and Similar Phenomena ........... 252
2.10.8 Photos and Videos with BL .......................... 267
2.10.9 On Phosphenes Formed as a Result of Energy
Radiation from Linear Lightning Flashes .............. 276
References ..................................................... 278
3 Analysis of Observations ........................................ 285
3.1 Data Collection ........................................... 285
3.2 Analysis of Observations by the Simplest Methods ............. 296
3.2.1 Parameters ........................................ 296
3.2.2 Lifetime .......................................... 297
3.2.3 Equivalent Electrical Power of Radiation .............. 297
3.2.4 Color ............................................ 298
3.2.5 Geography of Observations .......................... 298
3.3 Application of Modern Methods of Statistical Analysis of BL .... 304
3.3.1 Statistical Studies of BL Color ....................... 305
3.3.2 Analysis of Variance. Data Processing Procedure ....... 306
3.3.3 The Results of the Analysis of Variance for the BL
Color Factor ...................................... 307
3.3.4 Correlation Analysis of BL Color Distributions ........ 308
3.3.5 Factors Affecting the Observed Parameters
of the BL ......................................... 313
References ..................................................... 325
4 Experimental Modeling of BL and LLO .......................... 329
4.1 Introduction .............................................. 329
4.2 Early Experiments of the Nineteenth and Twentieth
Centuries on the Purposeful Creation of BL ................... 331
4.3 High-Frequency Discharges in the Air ........................ 333
4.4 Experiments on BL Obtaining Under Electric Discharge
Conditions ............................................... 336
4.5 Plasmodynamic Formation of BL and LLO ................... 344
4.6 Erosive Discharge ......................................... 357
4.6.1 Pulsed Electric Discharge in a Channel
with Evaporating Walls ............................. 357
4.6.2 Characteristics of Capillary Plasmatron Plasma Jets ..... 359
4.6.3 Experiments with Erosive Discharge
with a Capillary Made of Wax ....................... 361
4.6.4 Experiments with Erosive Discharge
with a Capillary from PMMA ........................ 364
4.6.5 Experiments with Polymer Materials ................. 366
4.6.6 Production of Glowing Spheres ...................... 370
4.6.7 Obtaining of Fireballs with a Polymer Structure ........ 371
4.6.8 Experiments on the Interaction of an Erosive
Discharge Jet with a Metal Sample ................... 375