[TCML] Jacob's ladder plasma "Rope"

["David Rieben" <drieben@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi all,


While playing around with my x-ray transformer fired 
climbing arc "Jacob's ladder" this evening, I noticed
an effect that I have seen before, but it does seem to
be a rare occurrence. Since it happened to occur once
tonight, it got me to thinking about it again. This will
probably be kind of hard to explain in words but here
is my attempt at it.

Most of the time the arc climbs with a "ragged" sound
and appearance. The plasma flame is rather ragged 
and shimmers much like a real flame. However, once
in a great while (probably on the average of one climb  
out of several hundred arc ascensions) the arc climbs 
with a very smooth 60 hz. hum and kind of gently "rolls" 
up the rails with a smooth, 1/2" to 1" thick rope-like ap-
pearance. It will usually curl and stretch out unusually 
far before finally breaking at the top of the rails, too. I 
really like this beauthiful effect but it seems to occur all 
to seldom and I can't seem to determine a "rhyme or rhy-
thm" for how or why it occurs when it does occur. I would
assume that it has something to do with the air currents
and such? I was just wondering how many others have 
experienced this effect and if anyone had any ideas as 
to the probable cause for this effect or if it could be re-
liably repeatable upon demand? BTW, I've only noticed 
this effect with realtively high powered JLs (mine was
running off about 130 volts at 90 amps input to the 240
volt rated input to the x-ray transformer. The scale may 
be too small to actually notice this effect with the naked 
eye at low power levels, if it's occuring at all?

Pondering,
David Rieben
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