Filament structure and propagation in a Plasma Globe

[upriver]

On filament structure and propagation within a commercial plasma globe
The filamentary discharge seen within commercial plasma globes is commonly enjoyed yet not well understood. Here we investigate the discharge properties of a plasma globe using a variable high voltage amplifier. We find that increasing voltage magnitude increases the number of filaments while leaving their individual structure basically unchanged, a result typical of dielectric barrier discharges. The frequency of the voltage also affects filament population but more significantly changes filament structure, with more diffuse filaments seen at lower frequencies. Voltage polarity is observed to be important, especially at lower frequencies, where for negative-gradient voltages the discharge is more diffuse, not filamentary. At late stages of the discharge circular structures appear and expand on the glass boundaries. We find no trend of discharge speed with respect to voltage variables, though this may be due to manufacturer sample-tosample variation. Each voltage cycle the discharge expands outward at ~10-15 km/s, a speed significantly higher than the estimated electron drift yet considerably lower than that observed for most streamers.

http://scitation.aip.org/docserver/full ... pdfType=am

[upriver]

Study of the Formation and Motion of Plasma Globe Filaments with High Frequency Photography
http://doeplasma.eecs.umich.edu/files/W ... _04_12.pdf

[upriver]

Dielectric-barrier Discharges: Their History, Discharge Physics, and Industrial Applications
http://www3.nd.edu/~sst/teaching/AME606 ... review.pdf

[Webbman]

perhaps the underlying structure is filamentary as I suggest (aetheric electromagnetic strands) and we need the gas/plasma to see it glow (emit photons) and see its structure.

1 strand to either electron ring or proton ball , both combine to ringed ball neutron, and all combine to give the elements.

maybe its really that simple.

[upriver]

The sun has 1 in 700,000 parts of Xenon in its atmosphere. The Xenon is supposedly created in a Supernova because its a heavy Element.
Xenon, Xe 0.0000087 in Earths atmosphere by volume.

"Instability at transition from abnormal to (sub)normal discharge leads to formation of filaments."

"We performed a comprehensive study of filamentation in xenon. Due to its high nonlinear refraction index, but relatively low ionization potential, xenon can support filamentation at peak powers lower than in air. In our experiments, we studied pulse shortening, spatial mode cleaning, and generation of terahertz radiation. We observed that in xenon, self-compression is easily obtainable and terahertz radiation generation efficiency is significantly stronger as compared to air."
http://loa.ensta-paristech.fr/ilm/uploa ... 9_2007.pdf

Here is a link to the first article. They seem to have changed the link..

http://scitation.aip.org/docserver/full ... pdfType=am

[celeste]

upriver, Thanks for sharing this link http://loa.ensta-paristech.fr/ilm/uploa ... 9_2007.pdf

That paper (once you apply it on a much larger scale), is a key to understanding the polar configuration of planets. I'll put that in a whole different thread, so as not to distract from what you are starting here.

[upriver]

They must have something that changes the link everyday.
Go to the link that says view accepted manuscript...

On filament structure and propagation within a commercial plasma globe
http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/jo ... /1.4919939

[upriver]

After reading all of this stuff about plasma ball I dont think the a plasma ball is a good analogy for the sun...
Its a different type of system. The only thing they may have in common is that there needs to be xenon to have filaments.

Other than that the sun is a bare electrode configuration and the plasma ball is a Dielectric-barrier Discharge.
Unless someone can point out the Dielectric-barrier on the sun...

"The presence of xenon in the gas mixture is apparently essential for narrow filament formation. Xenon is well known to lower the breakdown voltage of mixed-gas discharges, e.g. in high intensity discharge (HID) lamps. A small (≤1%)
mole fraction of xenon into neon can lower the breakdown voltage considerably39,26. Of possible relevance here also is experimental work40 wherein a transition to a filamentary regime in nitrogen was observed with the addition
of a small amount of oxygen (~1000ppm); the oxygen’s affinity for electrons removes them from the plasma and thereby distorts the homogeneity of the discharge."

[Robertus Maximus]

After reading all of this stuff about plasma ball I dont think the a plasma ball is a good analogy for the sun...
Its a different type of system. The only thing they may have in common is that there needs to be xenon to have filaments.

It depends on how you are looking at not only the Sun but the heliosphere as well. This study:

Study of the Formation and Motion of Plasma Globe Filaments with High Frequency Photography<BR abp="872">http://doeplasma.eecs.umich.edu/files/W ... _04_12.pdf

I found very useful. An interesting observation was that ‘Filaments re‐form in the same path each discharge cycle.’ This was attributed to ‘Leftover ion/electron pairs remain in the filament path during the “off interval” so that current can easily flow though the same spot again in the next cycle.’

In the 'Alfven and Juergens Circuits, a Reconciliation? 2.0' thread I have written that solar activity centres are found at ‘preferred longitudes’. If sunspots are indeed a result of incoming filamentary current do these filaments tend to take the same path? In the Plasma Ball the central electrode is static, in the heliosphere the Sun rotates identifying the ‘same paths’ would be much more difficult. If a fundamental property of plasma filaments is that they tend to take the ‘same path’ then preferred solar longitudes indicate that an external current is continually attempting to take the ‘same path’ independently of the Sun’s rotation.

More recently in the same thread I wrote that current always arrives perpendicular to a surface despite at solar minimum the bulk of the external current is arriving at the heliographic equator- ‘filaments often twist and bend far from the electrode, notice how they always seem to emerge from the electrode perpendicular to it.’… yet another fundamental property of filaments.

Filament behaviour in the Plasma Ball in some respects mirrors solar photospheric granule growth and decay plus the ACE spacecraft has found ‘twisted ropes’ the ‘footprints’ of which match granule size in the photosphere.

So, while not a perfect match the Plasma Ball is a useful visual aid on how external current powers the Sun.

[upriver]

After reading all of this stuff about plasma ball I dont think the a plasma ball is a good analogy for the sun...
Its a different type of system. The only thing they may have in common is that there needs to be xenon to have filaments.

It depends on how you are looking at not only the Sun but the heliosphere as well. This study:

Study of the Formation and Motion of Plasma Globe Filaments with High Frequency Photography<BR abp="872">http://doeplasma.eecs.umich.edu/files/W ... _04_12.pdf

I found very useful. An interesting observation was that ‘Filaments re‐form in the same path each discharge cycle.’ This was attributed to ‘Leftover ion/electron pairs remain in the filament path during the “off interval” so that current can easily flow though the same spot again in the next cycle.’

In the 'Alfven and Juergens Circuits, a Reconciliation? 2.0' thread I have written that solar activity centres are found at ‘preferred longitudes’. If sunspots are indeed a result of incoming filamentary current do these filaments tend to take the same path? In the Plasma Ball the central electrode is static, in the heliosphere the Sun rotates identifying the ‘same paths’ would be much more difficult. If a fundamental property of plasma filaments is that they tend to take the ‘same path’ then preferred solar longitudes indicate that an external current is continually attempting to take the ‘same path’ independently of the Sun’s rotation.

More recently in the same thread I wrote that current always arrives perpendicular to a surface despite at solar minimum the bulk of the external current is arriving at the heliographic equator- ‘filaments often twist and bend far from the electrode, notice how they always seem to emerge from the electrode perpendicular to it.’… yet another fundamental property of filaments.

Filament behaviour in the Plasma Ball in some respects mirrors solar photospheric granule growth and decay plus the ACE spacecraft has found ‘twisted ropes’ the ‘footprints’ of which match granule size in the photosphere.

So, while not a perfect match the Plasma Ball is a useful visual aid on how external current powers the Sun.

The point I want to get across in the the sun is an open electrode system while the plasma ball is a dielectric barrier system.
So you dont get any kind of electrode ions into the discharge and it pretty easy to see the differences in electrodes with an open electrode.
The flux tubes are related to the granules in the sun where as in the plasma ball the filaments are related to "previous ionization" paths for an ac plasma ball.

Here is an image of the granular texture of the sun.
http://www.bbso.njit.edu/AAS_SPD_2014/P ... fig1_3.jpg

According to certain measurement a flux tube eminates from each of these granules.
http://lesia.obspm.fr/turbu/talks/Greco ... _turbu.pdf

I was looking for the cause of 67Ps outburst in Feb and most of the heliospheric conditions didnt line up as far as sheet density velocity and positioning.. The only one that I couldnt really check on was the location of high density flux tubes.

As far as I can tell all sputtering systems sputter from the cathode, the work piece goes on the anode and anode darkening is a problem..... Ions help discharge jets otherwise they stay mostly a surface glow or filament.

Kinetic model of a plasma in contact with an ion-emitting anode surface
Ordoñez[8] created a fully kinetic sheath model that predicted the potential profiles for a wall that was capable of electron emission.
Riemann[11] created a kinetic-hydraulic hybrid model that studied sheath formation and Bohm criterion when a
fraction of the ions were able to reflect off of the cathode wall and hot ions could be emitted off a cathode wall.
Riemann's model was primarily interested in the Bohm criterion when a cathode could reflect ions off of its surface.
His model did not model the case of an anode capable of ion emission. To date, none of the kinetic models available model the effect of emitted ions from an anode wall; however, there are certain plasma cases where the wall may be capable of emitting ions. In the fusion processes described in reference [12] the objective was to use a strong electric field to extract Li ions directly from a liquid-lithium-coated anode. These lithium ions were extracted due to a strong electric field at the surface of the liquid metal.
http://www.me.mtu.edu/researchAreas/isp ... -Meyer.pdf