SOME OBJECTS FORMED IN THE INTERACTION OF ELECTRICAL DISCHARGES WITH METALS AND POLYMERS

An experimental approach is developed for producing autonomous objects reminiscent of ball lightning by the charging of an activated base ma de of materials such as polymers and metals with an energetic metastab le plasma. Methods of obtaining these autonomous objects and some of t heir properties are described. It is found that as the energy-depositi on parameters are increased, these objects increasingly resemble ball lightning. An attempt is made to indicate the specific forms of the ch arging and to give a brief phenomenological treatment of the processes responsible for the observed effects. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.