During thunderstorms
VISALAKSHI RAMANI
|
Have you heard of ball lightning?
|
Ball lightning appears during thunderstorms. But they are not born out of the conventional lightning flash, all the time. The balls of fire can be up to 10 inches in diameter and last for a few seconds. They burn as brightly as an electric lamp. Occasionally, there is a pungent smell. The fireballs may cause damage to property and plants and appear to explode while disintegrating.
Reports of balls of fire date back many centuries. In 1557, Diane de Poitiers, is reported to have been burnt by a ball of fire, which chased her around her bedroom on her wedding night. In 1556, eight people in England were reported to have been killed by a "fiery sulphurous globe" that rolled through the door.
Some researchers suggest that the ball lightning is an optical illusion, following a conventional lightning. However, fireballs have been seen inside buildings where conventional lightning could not be seen.
Artificial
The ball lightning contains plasma, which is rare on earth but very commonly found in the sun and the stars. Closer study of these fire balls may help in the better understanding of the universe itself.
Gerard Dijkhuis, the leader of the Dutch research team, has proved that the ball lightning is held together by the forces that fuse in atomic particles. If this fusion reaction could be controlled, the fireballs can be used to produce inexpensive electric power.
Sailors have reported seeing fireballs following short circuits in the submarine batteries. Dijkhuis installed 400 batteries bought from the Dutch Navy, linked them and short-circuited the system. He produced fireballs artificially. In 1985, the apparatus could produce fireballs four inches in diameter and it would last one second.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Young World
