Laboratory ball lightning

Ball lightning (etherodynamics) is a toroidal screw vortex of weakly compressed ether, separated by a boundary layer of ether from the surrounding ether. The energy of ball lightning is the energy of ether flows in the lightning body.

Ball lightning (popular etherodynamics)- this is a single brightly glowing, relatively stable small mass that is observed in the atmosphere, floating in the air and moving along with air currents, containing great energy in its body, disappearing quietly or with great noise, such as an explosion, and not leaving after its disappearance any material traces other than those the destruction she managed to cause. Typically, the occurrence of ball lightning is associated with thunderstorm phenomena and natural linear lightning. But this is not necessary.

Meaning from different sources

Ball lightning (wikipedia)- rare natural phenomenon, looking like a luminous formation floating in the air. To date, no unified physical theory of the occurrence and course of this phenomenon has been presented; there are also scientific theories, which reduce the phenomenon to hallucinations. There are many hypotheses that explain the phenomenon, but none of them has received absolute recognition in the academic environment. In laboratory conditions, similar but short-term phenomena were obtained by several in different ways, so the question about the nature of ball lightning remains open. As of beginning of XXI century, not a single experimental installation was created in which this natural phenomenon would be artificially reproduced in accordance with the descriptions of eyewitnesses of the observation of ball lightning.
It is widely believed that ball lightning is a phenomenon of electrical origin, of natural nature, that is, it represents special type lightning, which exists for a long time and has the shape of a ball, capable of moving along an unpredictable trajectory, sometimes surprising to eyewitnesses.

Known cases

Known cases of ball lightning:

• The case when ball lightning jumps out of nowhere from an ordinary plug socket, from a magnetic starter mounted on a lathe.
• A case of ball lightning suddenly appearing on the wing of a flying aircraft and steadily moving along the wing from its end to the fuselage. The ability of ball lightning to stick to metals is explained by the presence of a velocity gradient in the ether flows near the metal and, in connection with this, a decrease in the ether pressure between the lightning body and the metal. The same explains the lifting force of lightning. The ether flows excite gas molecules, which stop glowing as soon as they leave the lightning body.
• A sad case of ball lightning appearing in broad daylight and in calm, clear weather in the mountains at high altitude. Ball lightning, which appeared out of nowhere, attacked the people sleeping in the tent and began to “bite” them, causing significant burns. She lifted the woolen blanket, spreading a bluish fire over it, and then, as expected, disappeared, leaving no traces behind.

Hypotheses

A significant number of hypotheses have been created about the nature and structure of ball lightning, such as:

• a luminous cloud of air ions fed from outside;
• plasma and chemical theories;
• cluster hypotheses (lightning consists of clusters - hydration shells of ions)
• and even the suggestion that ball lightning consists of antimatter and is controlled by extraterrestrial civilizations.

The common drawback of all such theories, hypotheses and models of ball lightning is that they do not explain all of its properties in the aggregate.

Properties of ball lightning

Properties based on behavioral observations

• The size of stable ball lightning ranges from a few to tens of centimeters.
• The shape is spherical or pear-shaped, but sometimes vague, following the shape of an adjacent object.
• Bright luminosity visible during daytime.
• High energy content - 10 3 -10 7 J (once ball lightning, having climbed into a barrel of water, evaporated 70 kg of water).
• Specific gravity that practically coincides with the specific gravity of the air in the area of ​​occurrence (ball lightning floats freely in the air at any height);
• Ability to stick to metal objects.
• The ability to penetrate a dielectric, in particular through glass.
• Ability to deform and penetrate into rooms through small openings such as keyholes, as well as through walls, along wire lines, etc.
• The ability to explode spontaneously or upon contact with an object.
• Ability to lift and move various objects.

Properties based on the ether vortex model

• Vortex closed motion is the only way to localize energy in a gaseous environment. In this case, the kinetic energy of rotation of the vortex walls. Since the vortex exists by balancing the external pressure, it will be compressed by the medium, increasing the rotation speed. This will happen until the centrifugal force acting on the amers is equal to the force of external pressure of the ether. We thereby obtain a critically compacted vortex with a high energy density.
• The toroidal motion is very stable at critical compaction. At high rotation speeds, a surface layer is formed in which the viscosity sharply decreases. This phenomenon acts as a bearing, reducing losses during rotation of the vortex.
• Since, as we believe, both BL and electromagnetic phenomena are of an etherodynamic nature, the presence of electromagnetic properties in ball lightning is not surprising. Moreover, toroidal vortices have their own magnetic moment and an axis of symmetry. This leads to the fact that the BLs are oriented by external fields, that is, by vortex tubes and move along them, as if on rails (with sufficient field strength).
• Since ether particles have sizes of tens of orders of magnitude fewer particles substances, then macroscopic ethereal vortices can pass through material objects without difficulty, just like the wind through sparse forest. In this case, however, strong eddy currents will be induced in the substances (depending on the composition), which, together with other phenomena, will lead to strong heat release.
• Strong electrical and magnetic fields The ethereal vortex ionizes gas molecules, bringing the gases into a plasma state. Synthesis of elements is also possible due to the presence of vortex movements.
• Due to strong electromagnetic fields, ball lightning induces eddy currents in metals, which can lead to energy depletion and dissolution. But in most cases, in the event of a spontaneous violation of the integrity of the vortex, the energy accumulated in it will be released in the form electromagnetic radiation(the macroscopic toroid will collapse and its rotational energy will transform into many microscopic toroids-particles and vortex paths-photons).

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DOES BALL LIGHTNING EXIST?

For long history studying ball lightning with the most frequently asked questions there were no questions about how this ball is formed or what its properties are, although these problems are quite complex. But most often the question was asked: “Does ball lightning really exist?” This persistent skepticism is largely due to the difficulties encountered in attempting to experimentally study ball lightning using existing methods, as well as the lack of a theory that would provide a sufficiently complete or even satisfactory explanation of this phenomenon.

Those who deny the existence of ball lightning explain reports about it by optical illusions or erroneous identification of other natural luminous bodies with it. Often cases of the possible appearance of ball lightning are attributed to meteors. In some cases, phenomena described in the literature as ball lightning apparently actually were meteors. However, meteor trails are almost invariably observed as straight lines, while the path characteristic of ball lightning, on the contrary, is most often curved. Further, ball lightning appears, with very rare exceptions, during thunderstorms, while meteors were observed under such conditions only by chance. An ordinary lightning discharge, the direction of the channel of which coincides with the observer’s line of sight, may appear to be a ball. As a result, an optical illusion can occur - the blinding light of the flash remains in the eye as an image, even when the observer changes the direction of the line of sight. This is why it has been suggested that the false image of the ball appears to be moving along a complex trajectory.

In the first detailed discussion of the problem of ball lightning Arago (Dominique François Jean Arago - French physicist and astronomer who published the first world scientific literature a detailed work on ball lightning, summarizing the 30 eyewitness observations he collected, which marked the beginning of the study of this natural phenomenon) touched on this issue. In addition to a number of apparently reliable observations, he noted that an observer seeing the ball descending at a certain angle from the side cannot experience an optical illusion such as the one described above. Arago's arguments apparently seemed quite convincing to Faraday: while rejecting theories according to which ball lightning is an electric discharge, he emphasized that he did not deny the existence of these spheres.

50 years after the publication of Arago's review of the problem of ball lightning, it was again suggested that the image of ordinary lightning moving directly towards the observer was preserved for a long time, and Lord Kelvin in 1888 at a meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science argued that ball lightning - This is an optical illusion caused by bright light. The fact that many reports cited the same dimensions of ball lightning was attributed to the fact that this illusion was associated with a blind spot in the eye.

A debate between supporters and opponents of these points of view took place at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences in 1890. The topic of one of the reports submitted to the Academy was the numerous luminous spheres that appeared in tornadoes and resembled ball lightning. These luminous spheres flew into houses through chimneys, punched round holes in windows, and generally exhibited very unusual properties attributed to ball lightning. After the report, one of the Academy members noted that amazing properties ball lightning, which were discussed, should be taken critically, since observers apparently became victims of optical illusions. In a heated discussion, the observations made by uneducated peasants were declared not worthy of attention, after which the former Emperor of Brazil, a foreign member of the Academy, who was present at the meeting, declared that he, too, had seen ball lightning.

Many reports of natural luminous spheres were explained by the fact that observers mistakenly mistook the lights of St. for ball lightning. Elma. Lights of St. Elma is a relatively commonly observed luminous area formed by a corona discharge at the end of a grounded object, say a pole. They occur when the strength of the atmospheric electric field increases significantly, for example during a thunderstorm. With particularly strong fields, which often occur near mountain peaks, this form of discharge can be observed on any object raised above the ground, and even on the hands and heads of people. However, if we consider the moving spheres to be the lights of St. Elm, then we must assume that the electric field continuously moves from one object, playing the role of a discharge electrode, to another similar object. They tried to explain the message that such a ball was moving over a row of fir trees by saying that a cloud with a field associated with it was passing over these trees. Proponents of this theory considered the lights of St. Elma and all the other balls of light separated from their original attachment point and flew through the air. Since corona discharge necessarily requires the presence of an electrode, the separation of such balls from the grounded tip indicates that we're talking about about some other phenomenon, perhaps about another form of discharge. There are several reports of fireballs that were initially located on points acting as electrodes, and then moved freely in the manner described above.

Others have been observed in nature glowing objects, which were sometimes mistaken for ball lightning. For example, the nightjar is a nocturnal insectivorous bird, to whose feathers sometimes luminous rotten insects from the hollow in which it nests stick, flies in zigzags above the ground, swallowing insects; from some distance it can be mistaken for ball lightning.

The fact that in any given case ball lightning may turn out to be something else is a very strong argument against its existence. A major researcher of high-voltage currents once noted that, for many years observing thunderstorms and photographing them panoramicly, he had never seen ball lightning. In addition, when talking with alleged eyewitnesses of ball lightning, this researcher was always convinced that their observations could have a different and completely reasonable interpretation. The constant resurgence of such arguments emphasizes the importance of detailed and reliable observations of ball lightning.

Most often, the observations on which knowledge about ball lightning is based have been questioned because these mysterious balls were seen only by people who did not have any scientific training. This opinion turned out to be completely wrong. The appearance of ball lightning was observed from a distance of just a few tens of meters by a scientist, an employee of a German laboratory studying atmospheric electricity; lightning was also observed by an employee of the Tokyo Central Meteorological Observatory. Ball lightning was also witnessed by a meteorologist, physicists, a chemist, a paleontologist, the director of a meteorological observatory and several geologists. Among scientists of various specialties, ball lightning was more often seen and astronomers reported on it.

In very rare cases, when ball lightning appeared, an eyewitness was able to obtain photographs. These photographs, as well as other information concerning ball lightning, have often received insufficient attention.

The information collected convinced most meteorologists that their skepticism was unfounded. On the other hand, there is no doubt that many scientists working in other fields take a negative view, both due to intuitive skepticism and the unavailability of data on ball lightning.

Although no one can still say with complete confidence what ball lightning is, little is known about how to behave when it appears. According to the main version, this is an object that was formed due to randomly combined carbon particles. He has large area surfaces and low density, which allows it to move and retain energy for a long time.

When and where ball lightning will appear, how it will behave, no one, of course, knows in advance, because it comes from nowhere and also disappears in an unknown direction. Lightning refutes all logic in behavior, since it is the opposite every time. For example, it occurs not only during a thunderstorm, but also on a sunny day. The stereotype that she was attracted to electrical wires was dispelled after several appearances in the field.

Why people react differently and how to behave in this case - such questions also often remain unanswered. The following observation is curious - this object has some kind of memory; it can return to the same place several times in a row or appear before some a certain person. Moreover, the reaction is different for everyone - some are not affected by lightning at all, while others can be seriously injured or even worse - even killed.

What if we consider not scientific theories, but rather guesses about what ball lightning is? It is generally unclear how to behave in this case, because the assumptions are, to put it mildly, creepy. There are opinions that such phenomena are a kind of “reconnaissance” from the other world, because during a thunderstorm, when they most often appear, powerful bursts of energy occur. Such discharges provoke the opening of portals into a parallel dimension, after which our world begins. It sounds, of course, quite stupid, but who knows for sure, maybe there is truth in something?..

It is enough to read at least once about what ball lightning looks like in order to recognize it when you see it. From the name it is clear that it is spherical in shape, although sometimes it can easily change depending on the situation. For example, in the process of penetrating through a socket, it can easily take on the image of a sausage, and then transform into the original ball. The color can also be different, most often yellow or red are found, but sometimes it changes, like a chameleon.

Finally, we should discuss what to do in case of ball lightning. This is known more accurately than its origin. Do not make sudden movements under any circumstances - the object reacts sharply to even the slightest air fluctuation. If she appears in the house, try to very carefully get to the window and open it, it is quite possible that she will fly away. Lightning can cause quite a lot of damage with just one touch, so the person who suffered from it needs to be taken into a room with a large number oxygen, wrap him up and seek immediate medical attention. Before the doctors arrive, you can do

Ball lightning - what is it?

Scientists all over the world have been interested in ball lightning for quite some time. Over the course of a century and a half of their scientific study, dozens of conceivable and inconceivable hypotheses have been put forward to explain the nature of such a phenomenon. It is often identified with such an anomalous atmospheric phenomenon like a UFO. This is exactly the case when they try to explain one incomprehensibility by another... Let's try to touch this secret of nature.

It is not difficult to imagine what horror our distant ancestors might have experienced when encountering such an incomprehensible and frightening phenomenon. The first mentions of ball lightning in Russian archives are a vivid example of this. 1663 - a “denunciation from priest Ivanishche” from the village of Novye Ergi came to one of the monasteries, which said: “... fire fell to the ground in many courtyards, and on the paths, and along the mansions, like a torch of grief, and people ran from it , and he rode after them, but didn’t burn anyone, and then rose up into the cloud.”

In ancient times, myths and legends represented ball lightning in a variety of guises. More often, she was depicted as a monster with fiery eyes or as one who guards the entrance to hell. From time to time he goes out for a walk on the surface of the earth. Meeting him brings grief, and sometimes Cerberus leaves behind charred remains. The Serpent Gorynych, well known to everyone from fairy tales, is from this series.

On the bank of the Vakhi River (Tajikistan) there is a mysterious high mound made of rounded stones. Scientists claim that it appeared during the . But local folklore passes on from generation to generation the legend of the fiery underground kingdom and those living there. From time to time they appear on the top of the mound, surrounded by a “black glow” and the smell of sulfur. These demons are always described in the form huge dog with burning eyes.

English folk legends are full of stories about “ghost dogs spitting fire from their mouths.”

There is the first documentary evidence of ball lightning dating back to the times of the Roman Empire. Ancient manuscripts describe the events of 106 BC. BC: “Giant red crows appeared over Rome. They carried hot coals in their beaks, which fell down and set fire to houses. Half of Rome was on fire."

There is documentary evidence of similar phenomena in medieval France and Portugal. Magicians and alchemists, from Paracelsus to the mysterious Doctor Torallba, sought ways to gain power over the spirits of fire.

Myths and legends telling about fire-breathing dragons and similar evil spirits exist among almost all peoples of the world. This cannot be explained by simple ignorance. There were scientists interested in this topic. Large-scale research was carried out, and the conclusion was quite clear: many myths, fairy tales, legends are quite possibly based on real events. All this looks like evidence of some mysterious natural phenomena. The presence of a glow, the ability to penetrate material objects and the danger of explosion - why not the “tricks” of ball lightning?

Encounters with ball lightning

A group of enthusiasts led by Moscow electrical engineer S. Martyanov became interested in an unusual phenomenon near Pskov. In a quiet place in the Pskov region. there is the so-called Devil's Glade. In summer and autumn, according to the stories of the local population, there are so many mushrooms in those places that you can even mow them with a sideways scythe. However, old-timers avoid this place, and visitors will definitely be told about a strange black creature with burning eyes and a fiery mouth.

This is how S. Martyanov described his impressions of visiting Devil’s Glade: “It was there that a mysterious black ball rolled out at me from the bushes. I was literally stunned: flashes of fire ran across its surface. Nearby there was a huge puddle of rainwater. The dark object sparkled and rolled across the puddle with a hiss. A thick cloud of steam rose into the air and a loud bang was heard. After that, the ball instantly disappeared, as if it had fallen through the ground. All that was left on the ground was withered grass.”

S. Martyanov tried to find the answer to this natural phenomenon. In his research group included theoretical physicist A. Anokhin. On our next visit to Devil's Glade, we took several electrical devices that are capable of recording powerful electrical discharges. Sensors were placed around the clearing and began to keep watch. A few days later, the instrument needles shuddered and moved sharply to the right. A crimson flame flared up in the middle of the clearing, which soon went out. But suddenly “something dark gray” appeared from under the ground. The black color of the ball is by no means a curiosity, since scientists have long recorded ball lightning of a dark color. Then continuous miracles began.

The ball began to behave like an intelligent creature - it walked around the entire clearing in a circle, one by one burning out sensors there. An expensive video camera and tripod melted, and “something dark gray” returned to the center of the clearing and was sucked into the ground as if into blotting paper. The expedition members were still in a state of shock for a long time. The mystery haunted me. It is known that ball lightning most often occurs during a thunderstorm, but that day the weather was ideal.

A possible solution to this mysterious phenomenon was suggested by A. Anokhin. Scientists have long known the fact that thunderstorms also occur underground. In different regions of the Earth, fractures in crystalline rocks constantly exist or arise unexpectedly. earth's surface. During deformation, high-power electrical potentials appear in the crystals and a piezoelectric effect occurs. Probably underground lightning is breaking out to the surface.

In the western part of Novosibirsk, near the Tokhmachevo airport and in the area of ​​the Krasny Prospekt metro station, fiery objects have been observed for several years. They have a diameter from several centimeters to several meters, appear on different heights, and sometimes they burst right out of the ground. Geologists associate this phenomenon with the fracture of crystalline rocks.

Researchers who study ball lightning often affectionately call them “balls” or “balls.”

1902 - a curious incident occurred on the Estonian island of Saaremaa. 9-year-old Mihkel Myatlik was walking with friends along the shore of Lake Kaali. Suddenly there appeared in front of them mysterious creature- a small gray ball “no more than a span in diameter” that silently rolled along the path. The boys wanted to catch him, but, forcing him to run after him, the “bun” disappeared into the roadside bushes. The search came to nothing.

An eyewitness unusual phenomenon became the famous Russian writer Maxim Gorky. While vacationing in the Caucasus with A.P. Chekhov and V.M. Vedeneev, he watched as “the ball hit a mountain, tore off a huge rock and exploded with a terrible crash.”

The newspaper “Komsomolskaya Pravda” dated July 5, 1965 published the article “Fiery Guest”. It contained a description of the behavior of ball lightning with a diameter of 30 cm, observed in Armenia: “After circling around the room, the fireball penetrated through open door into the kitchen and then flew out the window. Ball lightning hit the ground in the yard and exploded. Fortunately, no one was hurt."

The mysterious properties of ball lightning can also be judged by the case of the Oryol artist V. Lomakin. 1967, July 6 - while working in his workshop, at 13.30 he saw a creature covered with fur, with two dark brown eyes, very slowly crawling out of the wall with a rustling sound reminiscent of the rustling of book pages. The length of its body was about 20 cm, and there were some kind of wings on the sides.

Having flown a little more than a meter from the wall, the creature hit the ruler with which the artist was working and disappeared. On the floor, V. Lomakin saw a ball that looked like a ball of twine. The surprised artist bent down to pick it up and throw it away, but found only a thick cloud of gray color. A second later it dissolved.

1977, November 20 - at about 19.30, engineer A. Bashkis and passengers were driving along the highway near Palanga in his Volga. They saw an irregularly shaped ball about 20 cm in size, slowly floating across the highway. The “bun” was black on top and red-brown at the edges. The car passed over him, and the “creature” turned in the other direction and continued on its way.

1981 - retired colonel A. Bogdanov saw ball lightning over Chistoprudny Boulevard. A dark brown ball with a diameter of 25–30 cm suddenly became heated and exploded, stunning numerous passers-by.

In the town of Mytishchi near Moscow in March 1990, two students, returning to their dormitory, encountered a mysterious dark purple ball. He slowly floated through the air half a meter from the ground. Arriving at the hostel, they saw the same ball on the windowsill. Frightened, the girls crawled with their heads under the blankets, at which time the ball began to decrease in size and change color. When they ventured to look out, there was nothing there.

1993, October 9 - The Youth Newspaper of Karelia also published an article about the mysterious ball. Mikhail Voloshin lived in Petrozavodsk in a private house. For some time now, a small ball with a diameter of 7 to 10 cm began to appear here; it moved absolutely silently and randomly changed direction. He always disappeared suddenly, in the morning.

In the same year, a curious incident occurred with a resident of Ussuriysk, M. Barentsev. On the Shlotovsky plateau near the cliff, he saw small clumps of spherical fog rolling along the ground. One of them suddenly began to grow, clawed paws and a mouth with bared teeth appeared from it. An acute headache pierced M. Barentsev, and the ball returned to its original size and disappeared.

In the summer of the same year, engineers from St. Petersburg encountered ball lightning. A husband and wife were relaxing in a tent on the river bank. Vuoksi. A thunderstorm was approaching, and the couple decided to bring some things into the tent. And then, in the middle of the trees, they noticed a flying ball, followed by a thick foggy trail. The object moved towards the river parallel to the shore. Then it turned out that their transistor radio had broken down, and my husband’s electronic watch had broken down.

Western sources of information contain earlier evidence of this mysterious phenomenon. During a thunderstorm on April 14–15, 1718, three fireballs with a diameter of more than one meter were seen in Couennon, France. In 1720, during a thunderstorm, a strange ball fell to the ground in a small French town. Bouncing off, he hit the stone tower and destroyed it. In 1845, in Paris on the Rue Saint-Jacques, ball lightning entered the room of a worker through a fireplace. The gray lump moved randomly around the room, then climbed up the chimney and exploded.

An article about ball lightning was published in the Daily Mail (England) on November 5, 1936. A witness reported seeing a hot ball descend from the sky. It hit the house, damaging telephone wires. A wooden window frame caught fire, and the “ball” disappeared into a barrel of water, which then began to boil.

The crew of the US Air Force KC-97 cargo plane experienced several unpleasant minutes. 1960 - at an altitude of almost 6 km, an uninvited guest appeared on board. A luminous round object about a meter in size entered the aircraft cabin. He flew between the crew members and just as suddenly disappeared.

Tragic encounters with ball lightning

However, an encounter with ball lightning is not always without consequences for a person.

Lomonosov's assistant, Russian scientist G.V. Richman died in 1752, struck in the head by ball lightning that appeared from a torn conductor from a lightning rod.

A tragic incident occurred in Tucumari, New Mexico, in 1953. Ball lightning flew into a large reservoir of water and exploded there. As a result, several houses were destroyed and four people died.

1977, July 7 - two large luminous balls descended onto the territory of an open-air cinema in Fujiang province (China). Two teenagers died, and in the ensuing panic, about 200 more people were injured.

A group of Soviet climbers high in the Caucasus Mountains was attacked by ball lightning. 1978, August 17 - a bright yellow luminous ball flew into the tent of the sleeping athletes. As he moved through the camp, he burned through sleeping bags and attacked people. The wounds were much more serious than simple burns. One climber died, the rest were seriously injured. The results of the examination of the athletes baffled doctors. Muscle tissue the victims were burned to the very bones, as if a welding machine had been used here.

1980 - in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), the appearance of a luminous ball also led to tragedy. Several houses burned down, the ball chased people, setting fire to their clothes.

The Literary Gazette for December 21, 1983 describes an explosion of ball lightning. Local residents worked in the mountain valley. A huge cloud appeared in the sky, as if glowing from within. The rain poured down, and people rushed to the mulberry tree for shelter. But there was already ball lightning there. She literally scattered people different sides, many lost consciousness. As a result, three people died.

What is ball lightning?

The list of tragic consequences from encounters with ball lightning can be continued, but let’s better try to figure it out - what kind of phenomenon is ball lightning? Scientists estimate that about 44,000 thunderstorms rage on Earth every day, with up to 100 lightning bolts striking the ground every second. But these are, as a rule, ordinary linear lightning, the mechanism of which is well studied by specialists. Ordinary lightning is a type of electrical discharge that is formed under the influence of high voltage between in different parts clouds or between cloud and earth. Rapid heating of ionized gas causes it to expand - this is a sound wave, that is, thunder.

But no one has yet been able to give an unambiguous explanation of what ball lightning is. According to the researchers, the efforts of specialists in various fields of science will be required, ranging from quantum physics to inorganic chemistry. At the same time, there are clear signs by which ball lightning can be separated from other natural phenomena. Descriptions of various theoretical models of ball lightning, laboratory studies, thousands of photographs enable scientists to determine many parameters and characteristic properties such a phenomenon.

1. Firstly, why were they called spherical? The overwhelming majority of eyewitnesses say they saw the ball. However, there are also other forms - a mushroom, a pear, a drop, a torus, a lens, or simply shapeless foggy clumps.

2. The color range is very diverse - lightning can be yellow, orange, red, white, bluish, green, from gray to black. By the way, there is a lot of documentary evidence that it can be non-uniform in color or can change it.

3. The most typical size of ball lightning is from 10 to 20 cm. Less common sizes are from 3 to 10 cm and from 20 to 35 cm.

4. Experts have different opinions about temperature. The most commonly mentioned is 100-1000 degrees Celsius. Lightning can melt glass when it passes through a window.

5. Energy density is the amount of energy per unit volume. For ball lightning it is a record one. The catastrophic consequences that we sometimes observe make it impossible to doubt this.

6. The intensity and time of luminescence range from several seconds to several minutes. Ball lightning can shine like a regular 100 W light bulb, but at times it can be blinding.

7. It is widely believed that ball lightning floats, rotating slowly at a speed of 2-10 m/sec. It will not be difficult for her to catch up with a running person.

8. Lightning usually ends its visits with an explosion, sometimes breaking up into several parts or simply dying out.

9. The most difficult thing to explain is the behavior of ball lightning. She is not stopped by obstacles; she loves to enter houses through windows, vents and other openings. There is evidence of its passage through the walls of houses, trees and stones.

It has been noticed that she is partial to sockets, switches, and contacts. Once in water, ball lightning can quickly bring it to a boil. Moreover, the balls burn and melt everything that may come across on their way. But there were also completely surprising cases when lightning burned the laundry, leaving outer clothing. She shaved off all the man’s hair and tore metal objects out of his hands. The man himself was thrown away over long distances.

There was a case when ball lightning fused all the coins in the wallet into a common ingot without damaging paper money. Being an intense source of electromagnetic microwave radiation, it is capable of damaging telephones, televisions, radios and other devices that contain coils and transformers. Sometimes he does unique “tricks” - when meeting with ball lightning, people’s rings disappeared from their fingers. Low-frequency radiation has a bad effect on the human psyche, causing hallucinations, headaches, and a feeling of fear. We talked about tragic encounters with ball lightning above.

The emergence of ball lightning

Let us consider the most typical hypotheses for the origin of this mysterious natural phenomenon. However, it should be noted right away that the stumbling block is the lack of a reliable method for reproducibly producing ball lightning under controlled laboratory conditions. Experiments do not give clear results. Researchers studying this “something” cannot claim that they are studying ball lightning itself.

The most common were chemical models, now they have been replaced by “plasma theories”, according to which the energy of tectonic stresses in the earth’s interior can be released not only through earthquakes, but also in the form of electrical discharges, electromagnetic radiation, linear and ball lightning, as well as plasmoids - clots concentrated energy. German physicist A. Meissner is an adherent of the theory according to which ball lightning is a ball of hot plasma, furiously rotating due to a certain initial impulse given to the clot by linear lightning.

The famous Soviet electrical engineer G. Babat during the Great Patriotic War conducted experiments on high-frequency currents and, unexpectedly for himself, reproduced ball lightning. So another hypothesis appeared. Its essence is that the centripetal forces, striving to tear the fireball into pieces, are opposed by those appearing on high speed rotation of the attractive force between separated charges. But this hypothesis is not able to explain the duration of the existence of ball lightning and its enormous energy.

Academician P. Kapitsa did not remain aloof from this problem. He believes that ball lightning is a volumetric oscillatory circuit. Lightning catches radio waves that arise during lightning discharges, that is, it receives energy from the outside.

Francois Arago was a proponent of the chemical model of ball lightning. He believed that when ordinary linear lightning discharges, burning balls of gas or some kind of explosive mixture appear.

The famous Soviet theoretical physicist Ya. Frenkel believed that ball lightning is a formation caused by the creation of gaseous chemically active substances during an ordinary lightning strike. They burn in the presence of catalysts in the form of smoke and dust particles. But science does not know substances with such colossal calorific value.

Employee of the Moscow Research Institute of Mechanics state university B. Parfenov believes that ball lightning is a toroidal current shell and an annular magnetic field. When they interact, air is pumped out of the inner cavity of the ball. If electromagnetic forces tend to tear the ball apart, then air pressure, on the contrary, tries to crush it. If these forces are balanced, then ball lightning will become stable.

From purely scientific hypotheses, which remain such, let us move on to more accessible and sometimes naive versions.

A proponent of a rather original assumption about the occurrence of ball lightning is a researcher anomalous phenomena Vincent X. Gaddis. He believes that on Earth, for a long time, in parallel with the protein form of life, there has been another one. The nature of this life (let's call it elementals) is similar to the nature of ball lightning. Fire elementals are creatures of alien origin, and their behavior indicates a certain intelligence. If desired, they can take a variety of forms.

Maryland physical chemist David Turner devoted several years to studying ball lightning. He suggested that such supernatural phenomena as and are associated with ball lightning. These mysteries are based on similar electrical and chemical processes. But they have not yet been able to confirm this assumption in laboratory conditions.

Attempts have long been made to connect the UFO phenomenon with ball lightning. However, all of them turned out to be untenable - the sizes, duration of existence, forms and energy saturation of these two phenomena are too different.

There are supporters of even more original versions of the origin of ball lightning. In their opinion, they are just... an optical illusion. Its essence is that during a strong flash of linear lightning, due to photochemical processes, an imprint in the form of a spot remains on the retina of the human eye. The vision can last for 2-10 seconds. The inconsistency of this hypothesis is refuted by hundreds of real photographs of ball lightning.

We have considered only some hypotheses and theories concerning such a mysterious phenomenon as ball lightning. You can accept them or not, agree with them or reject them, but none of them has yet been able to fully explain the mystery of the strange “koloboks”, and therefore tell a person how he should behave when encountering this natural phenomenon.

One of the most amazing and hazardous phenomena nature is ball lightning. How to behave and what to do when meeting her, you will learn from this article.

What is ball lightning

Surprisingly modern science finds it difficult to answer this question. Unfortunately, no one has yet been able to analyze this natural phenomenon using precise scientific instruments. All attempts by scientists to recreate it in the laboratory also failed. Despite a lot of historical data and eyewitness accounts, some researchers completely deny the very existence of this phenomenon.

Those lucky enough to survive an encounter with an electric ball give conflicting testimony. They claim to have seen a sphere 10 to 20 cm in diameter, but describe it differently. According to one version, ball lightning is almost transparent; the contours of surrounding objects can even be seen through it. According to another, its color varies from white to red. Someone says that they felt the heat coming from the lightning. Others did not notice any warmth from her, even when in close proximity.

Chinese scientists were lucky to record ball lightning using spectrometers. Although this moment lasted one and a half seconds, the researchers were able to conclude that it differed from ordinary lightning.

Where does ball lightning appear?

How to behave when meeting her, because a fireball can appear anywhere. The circumstances of its formation vary greatly and it is difficult to find a definite pattern. Most people think that lightning can only be encountered during or after a thunderstorm. However, there is a lot of evidence that it appeared in dry, cloudless weather. It is also impossible to predict the location where the electric ball may form. There have been cases when it arose from a voltage network, a tree trunk, and even from the wall of a residential building. Eyewitnesses saw lightning appear on its own, encountered it in open areas and indoors. Also in the literature, cases are described when ball lightning occurred after an ordinary strike.

How to behave

If you are lucky enough to meet fireball in open areas, you must adhere to the basic rules of behavior in this extreme situation.

• Try to slowly move away from dangerous place over a considerable distance. Don't turn your back on lightning or try to run away from it.
• If she is close and moving towards you, freeze, extend your arms forward and hold your breath. After a few seconds or minutes, the ball will go around you and disappear.
• Never throw any objects at it, as lightning will explode if it hits anything.

Ball lightning: how to escape if it appears in the house?

This plot is the most scary, as an unprepared person can panic and make a fatal mistake. Remember that the electric sphere reacts to any air movement. Therefore, the most universal advice is to remain still and calm. What else can you do if ball lightning has flown into your apartment?

• What to do if it ends up near your face? Blow on the ball and it will fly away.
• Do not touch iron objects.
• Freeze, do not make sudden movements and do not try to escape.
• If there is an entrance to an adjacent room nearby, then try to take refuge in it. But don't turn your back on the lightning and try to move as slowly as possible.
• Do not try to drive it away with any object, otherwise you risk causing a large explosion. In this case, you face such serious consequences as cardiac arrest, burns, injuries and loss of consciousness.

How to help the victim

Remember that lightning can cause very serious injury or even death. If you see that a person is wounded by her blow, then urgently take action - move him to another place and do not be afraid, since there will be no charge left in his body. Lay him on the floor, wrap him up and call an ambulance. In case of cardiac arrest, give him artificial respiration until doctors arrive. If the person is not seriously injured, put a wet towel on his head, give him two analgin tablets and soothing drops.

How to protect yourself

How to protect yourself from ball lightning? The first step is to take steps to keep you safe during a normal thunderstorm. Remember that in most cases, people suffer from electric shock while outdoors or in rural areas.

• How to escape from ball lightning in the forest? Don't hide under lonely trees. Try to find a low grove or underbrush. Remember that lightning rarely strikes coniferous trees and birch.
• Do not hold metal objects (forks, shovels, guns, fishing rods and umbrellas) above your head.
• Don't hide in a haystack or lie down on the ground - it's better to squat down.
• If a thunderstorm catches you in your car, stop and do not touch metal objects. Don't forget to lower the antenna and drive away from tall trees. Pull to the side of the road and avoid entering a gas station.
• Remember that quite often a thunderstorm goes against the wind. Ball lightning moves in exactly the same way.
• How to behave in the house and should you worry if you are under a roof? Unfortunately, a lightning rod and other devices are not able to help you.
• If you are in the steppe, then squat down, try not to rise above the surrounding objects. You can take shelter in a ditch, but leave it as soon as it begins to fill with water.
• If you are sailing in a boat, do not stand up under any circumstances. Try to get to the shore as quickly as possible and move away from the water to a safe distance.

• Remove your jewelry and set it aside.
• Turn off your cell phone. If it works, ball lightning may be attracted to the signal.
• How to escape from a thunderstorm if you are at the dacha? Close the windows and chimney. It is not yet known whether glass is a barrier to lightning. However, it has been noticed that it easily seeps into any cracks, sockets or electrical appliances.
• If you are at home, close the windows and turn off electrical appliances, and do not touch anything metal. Try to stay away from electrical outlets. Do not make phone calls and turn off all external antennas.