Some results of artificially produced ball lightning formation in atmospheric air

Summary form only given, as follows. Artificial ball lightning has been produced in atmospheric air using input energies from 20 Joules to 4 kiloJoules, resulting in lifetimes of a few milliseconds to many tens of milliseconds. This work was the result of attempts to form encapsulated all-plasma Spheromaks (PMKs) at atmospheric pressure, based on speculations about the PLASMAK/sup TM/ model. Representative frames showing a variety of features of the formed plasmoids will be displayed and discussed. One set of frames shows the formation, disruption, and fluorescence from the recontracted air. Energetic beams released by the disruption generated an X-ray signature in lead. Frames of PMKs are shown translated from their plasma blow-off clouds and the formation apparatus. Production of a formed and hyper-accelerated PMK is included. Frames of the step-by-step decay of the residual plasma (magnetized Hill's vortex) are depicted. The PLASMAK/sup TM/ model will be briefly discussed.