Re: TC Sparks and Arcs (Was - High Voltage Snubber caps

["Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz" <acmq-at-compuland-dot-com.br> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)]

Tesla list wrote:
> 
> Original poster: "John H. Couture" <couturejh-at-worldnet.att-dot-net>

> Are arcs and sparks possible in space beyond the earth's atmosphere? Can a
> Tesla coil be operated in space if attached to the outside or inside of the
> space shuttle?

The formation of sparks require the presence of an atmosphere. The light
that you see is emitted by electrons recombining with ionized atoms.
Without a gas present, electrons would continue to be emitted from
the metalic terminal when it is sufficiently negative (as in a cold
cathode vacuum tube), and attracted back when it is positive, but 
nothing will be seen (or heard, by the way). X rays may be produced.

Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz