I forgot - the pair of currents need to conduct in the same direction to be attracted together (rotation is not the correct or most basic term for the long range attraction here and I apologize for the oversight). After Oersted discovered the magnetic effects of currents in 1820, Biot and Savart formulated the law for the magnetic field from a long straight current-carrying wire. Ampére's studies led to the law of force between conductors carrying currents, which is the basis of the unit of current (the Ampere, naturally). History from Peratt's text,
Physics of the Plasma Universe.
If two parallel wires or Birkeland currents conduct in opposing directions they repel one another - the plasma universe is interested in the effects of attraction - between conductors whose charges are moving in the same direction. The long-range forces between parallel currents are attractive, but the electrons will tend to rotate helically around the magnetic 'lines of force' - i.e., the magnetic force field - and these revolving electrons set up their own magnetic fields which are short-range repulsive.
All this stuff had been researched carefully and successful high energy plasma experiments and particle-in-cell plasma simulations which successfully duplicated the lab experiments had been accomplished before Peratt's book was published in 1992. These plasma runs (gigaWatts in ns timescales) and PIC simulations created an evolutionary time track of forms identical to spiral and elliptical galaxies which, upon comparison with the records of double-lobed radio galaxies and other galaxy forms in the optical and IR ranges, found numerous instances of uncannily close matches. The PIC models make few initial assumptions about instabilities or shocks, but simply start with the known laws of electromagnetic statics and dynamics, and a uniform distribution of plasma and a space filled with magnetic fields of indefinite extent. Any small perturbation in the electron temperature eventually leads to vast swirling electromagnetic fields that pinch into filamentary forms. These lead to superclusters billions of light years long. The plasma within these elements is further pinched into galaxy size filaments which interact for billions of years, collecting and neutralizing so much mass that gravity becomes a factor in their continued evolution. As Peratt notes,
"Thus is formed the full range of galaxy species. Like predawn mist beading on a spiderweb, the observable cosmos condenses out of the plasma background in progressively smaller steps... There is no expansion, and there need not be any final crunch. Unlike the universe envisioned in the big bang model, the plasma universe evolves without beginning and without end: it is indefinitely ancient and has an indefinite lifetime in store."
Very nice writing. Here's the article in pdf:
http://plasmascience.net/tpu/downloads/NotWithaBang.pdf
Junglelord: I agree with you. The time is getting to where we can reach a lot of people and improve the visibility of our venture. Do you have any contacts that we could put in touch with those of us who are articulate and good talkers on the subject?
Jim
