RE: fluorescent tube question

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Kevin Weaver by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <kweaver-at-vvm-dot-com>

This thread has made me wonder if you could use one of the small round
fluorescent tubes like in the bathroom fixtures as a topload for a small
coil.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
> Sent: Friday, March 22, 2002 10:02 PM
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: RE: fluorescent tube question
>
>
> Original poster: "David Thomson by way of Terry Fritz
> <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <dave-at-volantis-dot-org>
>
> Hi Dave,
>
> > How does the output of a tesla coil light a fluorescent tube from a
> > distance without direct contact?
>
> 	The tube lights, largely, from current flows thru the tube.
>
> Not quite.  Tesla coils work at very high voltages, therefore the
> current is
> quite low.  It's the high energy state of the voltage and charge that
> excites the mercury and other gasses within the tube and causes photo
> phosphorescence.
>
> 	(Question:
> 	Is there any lighting due to 'direct' excitation of the
> 	phosphors?  Tricky experiment to do....   Hmmmmm.  Use
> 	loose CRT instead of a fluorescent tube?  Caution with the
> 	loose CRT....)
>
> I've been thinking about using a loose CRT, too.  Tesla did many
> experiments
> in this manner.  Like you said, anybody considering this experiment should
> be very careful.  With high enough energy input into a CRT, strong X-rays
> can be produced.
>
> Dave T.
>
>
>