Vapor Phase Electrochemistry 4: Cylindrical Air Plasmas

The most puzzling of all atmospheric phenomena are probably UFOs (Unpredictable Flying Objects). Earth-lights are similar but they are smaller and far less familiar. An electrochemical model that explains all the characteristics of ball lightning now can explain most characteristics of UFO and earth-lights. Despite their very different appearances, all three phenomena owe their structural stability to exactly the same forces. The fact that UFOs usually appear to be largely metallic while lightning balls usually glow brightly is easily explained. However, one characteristic of UFOs seems never to have been reported for lightning balls. This is prolonged tracking of an aircraft while a kilometer or more away from it. It is shown here that assuming the chemistry to be the same in all three structures can fully explain (qualitatively) how the same forces hold several air plasmas together. The most familiar cylindrical plasmas are lightning bolts, but still little is understood about the earliest (invisible) stages of air breakdown which rapidly produce the so-called stepped leaders that then lead to conspicuous lightning strokes. It seems that long thin air plasmas, similar to the invisible early lightning precursors can explain the tracking of aircraft by UFOs. Similar invisible plasmas can also explain why roughly horizontal lightning discharges are so common. An additional requirement for the existence of long, horizontal air plasmas is probably near perfect charge neutrality over the whole length of the invisible cylindrical plasma. Modeling only the physical aspects of the processes (for mutual UFO interactions) could prove feasible and might help improve our understanding of all naturally contained air plasmas: spherical, spheroidal and cylindrical.