DocumentCode
1438377
Title
High voltages for particle acceleration from thunderstorms: A. Brasch and F. Lange
Author
Schmidt, Werner F.
Author_Institution
Hahn-Meitner Inst. Berlin
Volume
24
Issue
2
fYear
1989
fDate
4/1/1989 12:00:00 AM
Firstpage
222
Abstract
An early experiment of two German physicists, A. Brasch and F. Lange (1930), who conceived the idea of harnessing the huge potential differences between charged clouds of thunderstorms and the earth, is briefly described. Voltage pulses of 8 to 15 MV amplitude were observed. Difficulties existed in bringing this potential down to the earth surface, and no discharge tube for the acceleration of particle beams that could withstand such voltages existed at the time. The project was discontinued when a fatal accident claimed the life of a coworker of Brasch and Lange
Keywords
atmospheric electricity; high-voltage techniques; history; particle accelerators; thunderstorms; 8 to 15 MV; Brasch; German physicists; Lange; acceleration of particle beams; charged clouds; fatal accident; particle acceleration; thunderstorms; Acceleration; Cables; Clouds; Earth; Electrostatics; Linear particle accelerator; Particle beams; Power transformer insulation; Rectifiers; Voltage;
fLanguage
English
Journal_Title
Electrical Insulation, IEEE Transactions on
Publisher
ieee
ISSN
0018-9367
Type
jour
DOI
10.1109/14.90277
Filename
90277
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