Re: scary idea

To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: scary idea
From: Gomez <gomez-at-netherworld-dot-com> (by way of Terry Fritz <terryf-at-verinet-dot-com>)
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1998 12:29:01 -0600
Approved: terryf-at-verinet-dot-com

Tesla List wrote:

> my friend had a scary idea the other day-a tesla coil that resonates at
> 60 hertz.  I told him he might have some problems building one, but he
> didn't seem discouraged.  He also wants to build a VERY high fruquencey
> tesla coil.  So high it emits visable light instead of radio waves.  He
> wories me sometimes...

Don't let your friend's ideas worry you.  Those ideas aren't scary,
justimpractical.

 In the former case, one doesn't build air-core transformers (Tesla coils
or any other sort) for 60 Hz- air doesn't have sufficient permeability to
concentrate magnetic flux at low frequencies.

 I'd suggest he start laying up a _very_ large iron core and looking about
for a very large oil tank and some big bushings...

 In the latter case, an oscillator that emits light waves could be built.
Tell your friend to use as his coil form a quartz tube filled with CO2
and a bit of nitrogen.  He'll need only a few turns on the primary and
no secondary at all.  The soon-to-be-ionized gas in the tube will act
as the "secondary".

 Now stick some mirrors at each end and drive the "primary" with
high-current RF...

By the way, this light-emitting oscillator is also known as a LASER.

-Gomez

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