Ball lightning explained as a stable plasma toroid

Spinning plasma toroids are created using high power electric arcs similar to lightning bolts. The spinning toroids are observed to be stable in atmosphere with no confining magnetic fields. Spinning toroids have the appearance of spheres, or balls, and create bright light through collisions with neutrals in the atmosphere. The spinning toroids are observed to last for more than 200 milliseconds in partial atmosphere. This paper describes the initiation apparatus and parameters. An explanation for the plasma toroid is presented that it is a hollow toroid of electrons where all the electrons travel in parallel paths orthogonal to the toroid circumference and reside in a thin outer shell of the toroid. The electron motion creates a current in the surface that in turn creates an internal magnetic field. Equations are presented detailing the initiation of the plasma toroid, and detailing the plasma toroid itself. The stability analysis for the plasma toroid has been completed that explains how the plasma toroid remains stable in atmosphere. The spinning plasma toroid has the appearance of ball lightning, in observations, computer simulations, and equations. The plasma toroid explains how a plasma ring can be stable in atmosphere with no external magnetic fields, and how it can contain many electrons with high energy. Ball lightning is often reported as a ring current, in toroid shape, and since a spinning ring appears as a sphere or ball, the spinning plasma toroid provides an explanation for ball lightning. The technology of the plasma toroid has the potential for new applications in propulsion and energy generation and storage.