Physicists find a particle accelerator in the sky

physicsworld.com...

Quote from source:The first evidence that thunderstorms can function as huge natural particle accelerators has been collected by an international team of researchers.

In a presentation at a meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society in Glasgow last week, Martin Füllekrug of Bath University described how the team detected radio waves coinciding with the appearance of "sprites" – glowing orbs that occasionally flicker into existence above thunderstorms. The radio waves suggest the sprites can accelerate nearby electrons, creating a beam with the same power as a small nuclear power plant.

"The discovery of the particle accelerator allows [one] to apply the knowledge gained in particle physics to the real world, and put the expected consequences to experimental testing," Füllekrug told physicsworld.com.

An old idea

The idea of natural particle accelerators existing just kilometres above our heads first came in 1925, when the UK physicist and Nobel laureate Charles Wilson investigated the effects of a thundercloud's electric field. Wilson claimed that the electric field would cause an electrical breakdown of the Earth's atmosphere above the cloud, leading to transient phenomena such as sprites.

I looked around on here and did not find this so I thought I would share it.

I wish we would study lightning a little more and find out more information on it. Because something that happens so much on Earth and everywhere we know very little about it. I bet there is a lot to be learned from lightning, and we should study it in depth.

It might be scary and produce anti-matter but what more reasons do you need to study it?

Any thoughts?

Pred...

Not about particle accelerators in the sky sorry...but as far as learning about lighting
The Science chanel if it is available to you has a show call Sci-trek. An episode that has recently aired 'Bolts of fire' definately worth a watch.

reply to post by Xcouncil=wisdom


I just copy and pasted the title, sorry if you find it misleading.

Thanks for the advice on the show I will make sure to watch it.

Pred...

Are you sure they just "found" this? I thought the CERN scientists were saying for ages how nature naturally does the things they're trying to do.

Originally posted by Xcouncil=wisdom
Not about particle accelerators in the sky sorry...but as far as learning about lighting
The Science chanel if it is available to you has a show call Sci-trek. An episode that has recently aired 'Bolts of fire' definately worth a watch.

I normally love the science channel but was completely disappointed by this program. I had to go grab a beer to calm down after the narrator said the sentence: "positive electrons weigh less and float to the top of the cloud". I don't care who they think their demographic is, that makes no sense. I also found it to be a little bit sensationalist, like they were trying to make you believe lightning was destroying the Earth.

I've always had a fascination with lightning, and it never ceases to amaze me all the secondary effects we're finding from what we once just thought to be a big spark.

You won't find much science put out on lightning because it remains a mystery to the fascist ideologues that promote the junk science called "Einsteinian Relativity."

Real answers can be found in plasma cosmology.

www.thunderbolts.info...

and here

www.thunderbolts.info...

reply to post by mnemeth1


Relativity as *junk science*? Let me guess your contribution to the world of science equals at best a high school diploma?

Yawn.