Birkeland’s Electromagnetic Cannon

The electromagnetic cannon was a device patented by the Norwegian physicist Kristian Birkeland (1867-1917) that he developed to help finance for his scientific research. In a previous paper in 1989, Egeland concluded that the project terminated after an official demonstration on February 6, 1903 ended in disaster. An explosion due to a 10 000-A short circuit occurred inside the cannon, creating a “huge flash and a deafening hissing noise.” The explosion so frightened European arms dealers present in the audience that Birkeland could sell neither his patent nor a single cannon. Wherever Birkeland turned, his efforts to have the armament community reconsider the cannon's advantage met with closed doors. December 2017 marked the 150th anniversary of Birkeland's birth. We use this occasion to present previously undisclosed information that highlights Birkeland's further efforts to develop and market his electromagnetic cannon after 1903. We outline Birkeland's strategy to sell his cannons as long-range weapons to the French and British governments. Potential profits from these transactions were to be used to support research on the possible response of the zodiacal light to magnetic disturbances on the sun, conducted at Helwan in Egypt and Omdurman in Sudan.