Modern science has a relatively large stock of knowledge about the Earth's atmosphere and the variety of processes occurring in it. It would seem that all this should be well researched and meticulously modeled in laboratories favored by scientists. However, it turns out that until now there is no clear, unambiguous picture of such a phenomenon as atmospheric electricity. On the contrary, there are several models, each of which has its pros and cons.
A bit of history
The person who stood at the origins of the study and scientifically confirmed the existence of this phenomenon, in fact, is the world-famous ideologist of the formation of the United States - Benjamin Franklin. Indeed, atmospheric electricity as a physical phenomenon was before him in the stage of hypothetical calculations. One of the Founding Fathers of America was the first to show his presence in the air, and also explained the reasonsoccurrence of lightning. The most intriguing thing about this story is the fact that Franklin used a kite with a special pointed wire on it to prove it.
By collecting electricity in this way, he received a spark discharge, opening the key in the simplest grounding circuit. A simple way to prove the presence of charged particles in the atmosphere, however, in no way detracts from the merits of this great politician, as well as the scientist, in the discovery of the natural phenomenon considered here. Subsequently, physicists around the world began to confirm their results with their own experiments of this kind.
What is atmospheric electricity?
This is a combination of various processes caused by the presence of charged particles in the air surrounding the Earth. Scientists study such phenomena as the electric field of the atmosphere, its strength, the currents that exist in connection with this, space charges, and many other points. For example, meteorological, environmental factors, the impact on various branches of human anthropological activity: aviation, industry, agriculture, etc.
Convenient physical analogy
Our planet in a very rough approximation is a huge spherical capacitor. This is the simplest device that can store electrical energy. The ionosphere and the earth's surface itself can be considered as the plates of a giant capacitor. In this case, air acts as an insulator, which under normal conditions hasvery low electrical conductivity. The Earth's surface is negatively charged, while the ionosphere is positively charged.
As between the plates of a conventional capacitor, an electric field is formed here, which has completely unique characteristics. For example, its intensity is maximum near the earth's surface, decreasing exponentially with increasing height. By the way, already at 10 kilometers above sea level, its value is 30 times lower. This field basically forms the whole variety of phenomena, united under the general name "atmospheric electricity".
This is one of the most common models in the modern scientific world. It is called Wilson's theory. There is also a hypothesis put forward by the Soviet scientist Frenkel, according to which the ionosphere does not play any significant role in creating the electric field. He believed that it is formed mainly due to the interaction of the earth's surface and clouds, as well as their polarization.
Natural Generator
But if we return to the capacitor model, which provides not only a good analogy, but also theoretical possibilities for creating sources of practically free energy, then atmospheric electricity manifests itself in just a few basic processes. Consider the most important.
First of all, these are the so-called leakage currents. As for a conventional capacitor, these are parasitic phenomena that reduce its effectiveness in storing charge. In the case of the atmosphere, these are convective currents formed, for example, inhurricane and thunderstorm areas. Their strength reaches tens of thousands of amperes, and, despite this, the potential difference between the earth's surface and the ionosphere does not experience any significant changes, while maintaining, of course, the field strength. In an electrical circuit containing a capacitor, this is only possible with an additional generator.
Following the logic, it is worth assuming the presence of something similar in the case of the Earth's atmosphere. Indeed, there is such a source of energy. This is the magnetic field of our planet, which, rotating with it in a stream of solar radiation, creates a powerful generator. By the way, there is an idea to use its energy, using just atmospheric electricity. Free energy is an incredibly powerful stimulus for the development of scientific thought in all areas of human activity. This trend has not bypassed the physics of atmospheric phenomena. But more on that later.
Thunderstorms
The next interesting and important process in the atmosphere is the spark gas discharges that accompany thunderstorms. Like convective currents, this is a parasitic phenomenon from the point of view of the capacitor model of the electric field created between the Earth's surface and the ionosphere. And this, unfortunately, is far from limited to the negative impact of discharge phenomena in the atmosphere. Here it should be noted the danger of lightning for terrestrial objects of anthropogenic activity, including the destructive impact of shock and thermal overloads that accompany this formidable phenomenon.
Zippers
Evidence of the electrical nature of lightning, so elegantly provenFranklin, forms one logical question. Most likely, he worried even the contemporaries of the founding father. So, is atmospheric electricity high or low voltage?
According to the already mentioned capacitor model, the potential difference between the plates on a planetary scale should form an electric field. Indeed, the negatively charged surface of the Earth on the one hand and the positively charged ionosphere form a field of high intensity. Electrical phenomena in the clouds create huge space charges just in the lower part of the atmosphere. Therefore, the field strength near the earth's surface is much greater than, for example, at a height of 10 km.
Obviously, an electric field of this intensity generates powerful discharge currents that an inexperienced observer can see during an ordinary thunderstorm in mid-latitudes. Therefore, the voltage in the discharge channel is high.
St. Elmo's Lights
In addition to the spark, there is a corona discharge in the atmosphere, which, due to historical tradition, is called the fires of St. Elmo. It looks like brushes or luminous beams at the ends of tall objects, such as ship masts, towers, etc. Moreover, this phenomenon can only be observed in the dark. The reason for the appearance of St. Elmo's lights is an increase in the electric field strength of the environment, for example, when approaching or during a thunderstorm, storm, snowstorm, etc.
Such a discharge can bepretty easy to get at home. Indeed, do-it-yourself atmospheric electricity is a very simple matter. For example, you can take off a synthetic sweater and start bringing a needle to it. From a certain distance, a discharge will appear at its tip, which can be clearly observed in complete darkness.
Fireball
Another thunderstorm manifestation is a gas discharge, usually having a spherical shape. We are talking about ball lightning, which is a unique and very rare natural phenomenon. Scientists still cannot agree on an adequate theoretical justification for the existence of this phenomenon. And until 2012, there was no documentary evidence of the reality of ball lightning at all. Be that as it may, this is another mystery of the Earth's atmosphere that scientists are still struggling with.
Environmental factor
It has already been said above about the impact of lightning on various types of human activities. Atmospheric electricity as an environmental factor is a very important point, which should also be discussed. From the point of view of human development of the various resources provided to him by the planet Earth, the air environment gives him the opportunity to maintain existence as a species.
The presence of an electric field in the atmosphere has many unpleasant consequences for human activity. Some of them are quite harmless, but many manifestations force the best engineering minds to come up with effective ways to pacify formidable forces.nature.
Life safety
Atmospheric electricity and protection from it is the most important issue that should be discussed in the context of ecology. Naturally, the most dangerous are the most powerful spark discharges, like lightning. And this applies not only to their terrestrial varieties. Intra-cloud lightning poses a certain threat to civil and military aviation. One way or another, all discharge atmospheric phenomena are subject to close observation and prevention of possible damage. This is done by special engineering services in the same aviation, shipbuilding or lightning protection of buildings, power stations, etc.
Free energy
Finally, let's return to the issue of practically free energy that atmospheric electricity can provide. Tesla, the famous master of lightning, did a huge amount of research to put this natural phenomenon into practice. His labors were not in vain. Modern engineers are patenting various methods of energy production due to the fact that there is a powerful electric field near the earth's surface.
A striking example is a circuit with a vertically installed grounded conductor, between the upper and lower ends of which a potential difference appears due to the same presence of the field. This energy created by it can be extracted by forming a controlled corona discharge at the upper end of the conductor. As a result, current can be maintained in the conductor, which means that it is safe to connect a consumer to it.
Thus, atmospheric electricity, despite the existing threats to normal anthropogenic activity, also opens up excellent prospects for providing all of humanity with practically free energy.
