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Preface
About This Guide
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This Guide is intended for anyone who wonders how our Universe really works, and who might be interested in an intriguing and somewhat different point of view. Is the Universe now expanding faster and faster as science magazines tell us? Does gravity alone, the weaker of the two long-range forces and the centerpiece of the Standard Model in astrophysics, rule the heavens?
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A small star grouping, NGC 265, in the Small
Magellanic Cloud, near our Milky Way galaxy
Image credit: European Space Agency and NASA/Hubble
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Readers may be surprised to discover that many well-trained skeptics do not support popular ideas in astronomy and the space sciences. Critics doubt that "black holes" actually exist. They suggest that "dark matter," supposedly far more abundant than visible matter, is a mere fiction, hiding the fact that earlier theories no longer work. Theories of galaxy formation, the birth of stars, and the evolution of our planetary system are all raised to doubt by critics who believe that a fateful turn in 20th century theory set astronomy on a dead-end course.
Enchanted by the role of gravity in the cosmos, astronomers failed to recognize the pervasive role of charged particles and electric currents in space. The purpose of this Guide is to clarify a new vantage point, one that acknowledges the contribution of the electric force to the dynamic structure and highest energy events in the universe. As we compare events in space to the behavior of charged particles in the laboratory, the differences between an electric model and the traditional gravity-only model should become progressively more clear.
The purpose of this Guide is to introduce and clarify the roles of plasma and electricity in space. It will describe what produces the unique behavior of plasma, and how electricity contributes to the complex and dynamic structure of the universe. It describes a work still in the early stages of progress, with its interpretation of observations in space, near and far, much more inclusive of the electric and plasma physics contributions than customarily found in writing on this subject.
We offer the Essential Guide to scientists and to the interested lay reader. For those who like to delve into technical details, links to more in-depth material are included, and will be expanded over time.
We will release the preliminary version of this Guide on the Thunderbolts.info site one chapter at a time. The document will continue to evolve, perhaps for years to come, and we invite contributions from specialists in the scientific studies covered. Given the explosion of data from space, no one working alone can keep up with current findings. For this reason, interdisciplinary collaboration will be a key to the success of this endeavor.
Acknowledgements
As work on this Guide proceeds, the number of individuals deserving special acknowledgement will grow. But we will always owe a special debt of gratitude to Bob Johnson, whose initial script developed over several months gave us a solid foundation on which to build this project.
Jim Johnson, an architect by training, well-versed in the principles of the Electric Universe, will serve as Managing Editor and webmaster.
The multi-talented Dave Smith will serve as advisor on webmaster issues and as a key liaison to scientists and to undergraduate and graduate students desiring to know more or to actively participate.
Also warranting mention are two individuals who, during the formative phase of this project, invested substantial time in identifying key questions and answers. The contributions of Michael Gmirkin and Chris Reeve, though exceeding the present scope of the Guide, have helped to pave the way for what will come, including systematic answers to common misconceptions.
We are pleased to add to this list two assistant editors, Kim Gifford and Mary-Sue Halliburton. Both have followed discussion of the Electric Universe over several years and have shown the requisite editorial skills this Guide will require.
And finally, a thank you to our readers. Our first priority will always be on tending to needed clarifications or corrections in the published portions of the Guide. On such matters, our readers are often the first to help.
David Talbott
Thunderbolts Project
End of Preface
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: Distances in Space
Chapter 2: Magnetic and Electric Fields in Space
Chapter 3: Plasma
Chapter 4: Electromagnetism
Chapter 5: Plasma Sheaths, Cells, and Current-free Double Layers
Chapter 6: Currents, Filaments, and Pinches
Chapter 7: Birkeland Currents, Magnetic Ropes, and Current Carrying Double Layers
Chapter 8: Current Sheets, Perpendicular Currents, and Electric Circuits
Chapter 9: Plasma Circuit Instabilities
Chapter 10: Rotational Effects
Chapter 11: Radiation
Summary and Conclusion
Appendices
Appendix 1: The Nature of Electromagnetic Fields
Appendix 2: Vector Algebra
Appendix 3: The Electromagnetic Field Equations
Glossary (unfinished)
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