Abstract

Charge on dust and aerosol particles endows atmospheric electricity with a degree of freedom not included in MHD and plasma theory. For ball lightning we find charged eigenstates with nuclear fusion potential from quaternion exponentials [1]. Tapered helicity of their vortex lattice induces strong interaction in core regions of Fig. 1. Exponentials in split-quaternion space plot wave fronts as Cherenkov radiation cones of fast ions. Free ranges of ions from deuterium fusion match coloured envelopes occasionally seen around ball lightning. Polaroid sunglasses will reveal polarized light from Cherenkov envelopes shown in Fig. 1.

Our matrix method gauges (split-)quaternion space for smooth closure by twelve symmetry conditions on partial derivatives and moments. Quaternion sine plots iso-surfaces of space charge for bar-plate electrodes demonstrating steady fusion of deuterium nuclei in the high-voltage device of Ref. 2. We discuss scale rules for discharge voltage and fuel concentration upgrading vortex fusion rates above energy breakeven.

 

1.    G.C. Dijkhuis, On 3D potential field solutions for atmospheric charge distributions. Proceedings of Progress in Electromagnetics Research Symposium (PIERS) Xi’an , China , 22-26 March 2010. (Search for: piers ball lightning)

2. B. Naranjo, J.K. Gimzewski & S. Putterman, Observation of nuclear fusion driven by a pyroelectric crystal. Nature, Vol. 434, pp.1115-1117 ( 2005).