Nexus - 0802 - New Times Magazine-pages

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NEWSCIENCENEWSCIENCENEWSCIENCE accompanied by loud reports, while others which mimics that of natural lightning __ reports of ball lightning passing through appeared to just fade out... strikes, which vapourises nearby available window-glass during a storm are really "We were able to produce other interest- carbon and metal sources which forma __ descriptions of an illusion! ing features. Often we had pulsating fire- bubble around super-heated air products From a close analysis of video footage, balls. These would appear and then shrink. — such as ozone. the Corums realised that what had really When they were hit by the RF streamers In this laboratory set-up, it is the happened was that electrical streamers hit [from the Tesla coils], they would grow in blackened copper terminal that is _ the glass first, carrying a fireball along with size and shrink again. This would occur a __ progressively eroded and actually provides it. As the sphere approached the glass sur- number of times and then they would fade this material, and it is this electrothermally face it would fade out, during which the away. In one sequence, a ball [was] struck produced, charged bubble that is the basic _ electric lines of force which propelled it by six separate streamer discharges, grow- sphere of the ball lightning. It is within — played upon the glass, causing it to become ing in size each time. One fireball grew this bubble that a variety of highly dynamic _ heated and its substance to be broken down from an initial 6-mm sphere into a 5-cm- chemical and electrical activities take enough to become slightly conducting. diameter fiery red globule within a one- _ place, providing "fuel" during the life of | This spot would then act like an electrode, second time interval. The streamers often the phenomenon. as an extension of the copper terminal on appear to have bright fluid matter being The process could be visualised as an top of the coil, as it was still connected to it visibly ejected and moving along their interrupted explosion where the outgoing _ electrically by the streamer. As more and length, this matter apparently adding to the expelled particles of copper and carbon, more electricity was fed into the glass from size of the fireball. the coil's terminal via the streamer, a "Another feature was that some had new fireball appeared on the other the appearance of a doughnut: bright side of the pane. circles with darkened centres. Others The Corums relate: appeared as deep red, bright white. One fireball grew from an The Fireballs would then travel green, yellow, blue-white and purple. a age 4 slowly, horizontally, 35 cm or so, an Some fireballs can be seen to spin, initial 6-mm sphere into flare up. Some would travel out a bit with moving dark patches like a 5-cm-diameter farther and either explode or burn out sunspots. . ape like cinders..." "Some appear to be transparent, fiery red globule within a This sequence was only evident with electrical discharges darting one-second time interval through stop-frame analysis of the through them. Several are observed to change colour as they evolve and eventually explode like astronomical novae. Sometimes the streamers actu- It is fitting to end this description of ally jump from fireball to fireball in a the Corums' work by quoting them dazzling display, changing their appearance instead of being thrown out in all direc- referring to Tesla: on contact. tions, are held in place by surface tension "At long last, today, the fireballs can be "Some fireballs start out as red dwarves, to form a container bubble, inside which closely studied in a controlled laboratory then pass through various colours and sizes _ the explosion slowly continues as unstable, environment. We believe that the work to a bluish-white giant stage. Some of smouldering, electrochemical discharges. that Tesla left undone may now be these seemed to explode as 'novae', while Eventually, after this electric fireball resumed. And, with the advanced tech- others seemed to cool back as red giants. may have floated several feet through the niques and concepts available to scientists In one particular case, a fireball actually air, its internal energies reach a critical today, rapid progress will surely be made." appeared to be surrounded by a glowing _ instability and the initial explosion contin- oo shell." ues, resulting in either a harmless burnout 1. soe 4 Pa . About the Author: video recording, and viewing it in real time gives the impression that the fireball passes through the gla which mimics that of natural lightning strikes, which vapourises nearby available carbon and metal sources which form a bubble around super-heated air products such as ozone. In this laboratory set-up, it is the blackened copper terminal that is progressively eroded and actually provides this material, and it is this electrothermally produced, charged bubble that is the basic sphere of the ball lightning. It is within this bubble that a variety of highly dynamic chemical and electrical activities take place, providing "fuel" during the life of the phenomenon. The process could be visualised as an interrupted explosion where the outgoing expelled particles of copper and carbon, initial 6-mm sphere into a 5-cm-diameter fiery red globule within a one-second time interval. instead of being thrown out in all direc- tions, are held in place by surface tension to form a container bubble, inside which the explosion slowly continues as unstable, smouldering, electrochemical discharges. Eventually, after this electric fireball may have floated several feet through the air, its internal energies reach a critical instability and the initial explosion contin- ues, resulting in either a harmless burnout or a destructive force, depending upon at which stage in its energy release it was cur- tailed as the ball lightning form. About the Author: Albert Budden, BEd is an investigator spe- cialising in the scientific study of the para- normal as well as electromagnetics and health. He is a member of the Environmental Medical Foundation and the author of several books including Allergies and Aliens: The Visitation Experience (Discovery Times Press, 1994), UFOs: Psychic Close Encounters (Blandford, 1995), The Poltergeist Machine: The Hutchison Effect (DTP, 1996). His article on John Hutchison's "Poltergeist Machine" and relat- ed research was published in NEXUS 4/01. For further information, contact Albert Budden at 17 Brook Road South, Brentwood, Middlesex TW8 ONN, England, UK, tel +44 (0)208 560 9497. THE DUAL TESLA COIL SET-UP In fact, two simultaneously operating Tesla coils are involved here, where an electromagnetic wave of extremely high frequency from one coil apparatus is imposed upon another at a lower frequency. This set-up acts as a trigger, where the total energy produced is discharged in an infinitely small interval of time and at a tremendously great rate of energy movement—which cannot confine itself to the metal circuitry of the coil, so it is released into the air with inconceivable violence. It is this electrical violence, RECORDING VISUAL EFFECTS Recording the fireballs on photographic film was somewhat difficult; in some cases the Corums found videotape to be superior, as time durations could be estimated from the video frame rate. However, in a remarkable sequence of photographs, the Corums were able to record the apparent effect of fireballs pass- ing through a glass window pane—some- thing which has often been observed with natural ball lightning. That is to say, the NEXUS - 49 One fireball grew from an FEBRUARY — MARCH 2001