[dahlenaz]

STATIC DISCHARGES TO DUST COVERED
CRT PROVIDE A CLUE TO
CRATER FORMATION ON PLANETARY BODIES

Z. Dahlen Parker

Static Discharge patterns, seen in a thin layer of dust on a CRT, have a striking resemblance to many features seen on moons and asteroids. What might this low tech experiment reveal about how some planetary surface features are formed? Many features on moons and asteroids are hard to explain through the mechanism of an impact. The anomalies are numerous but the most obvious challenge to that theory are the strings of craters that appear to overlap each other or are at best in very close linear proximity.
Crater chains, in appearance, are comprised of a series of semi-circular patterns, similar to a weld bead but spaced in a manner that results in the semi-circles being formed with 60% or more of the circle's perimeter still visible. In a crater chain there is always a whole circle at one end. The symmetry of all the exposed perimeters is somewhat preserved. If an impact explanation was to be used several problems arise. To get a chain of craters you’d need a chain of objects and they would need to impact on top of one another. If they struck at an angle, other than a right angle, they would make non-symmetrical circles. Also, the subsequent impacts would destroy the clarity of the previously formed crater rims.
Based on the consistent appearance of crater chains, there are too many problems that are not answerable through the impact theory for it to be valid.
Experiments with static discharge to a dust covered CRT offer another tool to help understand the formation of crater chains and other crater features as well.

Images At http://www.electric-sparc-scars.com

This abstract was developed into a poster presentation at an IEEE Conference in June 2007. It is at the above site in its expanding fullness. The author is still seeking assistence to insert any technical insight to these experiments. The discovery of these patterns was entirely by accident but there are enough similarities seen in the patterns to raise my suspiscion that there are important relationships to be made for the sake of the Electric Universe.
This is an invitation to the people of this forum and its parent groups. Any input is welcome. Dahlenaz

[lk]

.Are you referring to the IEEE Pulsed Power and Plasma Science Conference in Albuquerque? I found info on that at http://www.ece.unm.edu/ppps2007.
.Is there somewhere you can post some of the images on the net? Or would you like to put a video clip on youtube or googlevideos etc?
.And can you describe how to do the experiment with a CRT or whatever? Have you used anything besides dust on the CRT? What kind of dust do you use and how thick a layer? Can you give all the details of how you do it?
.By qualified assistance, do you mean from someone who understands electronics? I can post your request for assistance on the Craigslist science forum, if you like. Would you pay anything for the assistance? Would you provide a ride to the conference?
.Maybe this experiment isn't sophisticated enough for Thornhill et al, since they have access to more advanced equipment. But it sounds like it might interest more average readers, if it involves cheap and readily available hardware, that they could get and work with themselves to see the results. In one of the TPODs they used an image from some guy's website where he showed interesting effects in Tesla-like demonstrations.
.A cheap experiment like that would probably interest a lot of high school science classes and that would be a good way to introduce young people to the electric universe model.

[dahlenaz]

Many Images can be viewed at 'superlink' at the site mentioned above. www.electric-spark-scars.com This link is among the others at the top of the page and it is abreviated, you'll see the page and image names as you role over the links. dz

[dahlenaz]

lk,
Here are answers to as many of the questions as I can at this time.

Yes, to the IEEE Pulsed Power conference. However, this is not to say that they are endorsing any theories, observations or conclusions.

The assistance i'm seeking is focused discussion of technical details associated with electric discharges and CRT characteristics that would lead to conditions conducive to discharges through material on it's surface. This is all intended to develope reasonable explanations for features on celestial bodies possessing similarity to electric discharge patterns seen in CRT test As for compensation for discussing this topic, i'm doing this out of a desire to get to the truth and interest in forwarding the efforts of those who have inspired me to consider these electric universe consideration. Any books or seminars on this subject will give appropriate credit to those who help by offering their insight 'for the cause' of forwarding this investigation into a subject that could produce alternative explanations.


You make an excellent point on the simple experiment rational that could generate interest at an entry level to this very complex subject of plasma. If these results can be scaled up, as has been mentioned by certain participants of this forum, then the role of these experiments will carry observations into many areas of patterns seen on celestial bodies.


The experiments have involved an old VGA monitor and a new portable TV/VCR. Accumulation of dust is only that which would occur over time and through normal operation. It is centeral Arizona type talcish stuff. The patterns were discovered one day when i was poking around in the dust of the old VGA CRT, if it can be called that. I got an initial arc that was substantial and left a single crater-like pattern. Repeated poking with my finger, being careful not to touch the surface, resulted in many more discharges to undisturbed areas. I then got carried away and began swiping may finger near the monitor and the result was chains of craters that laid down patterns in direct relationship to speed and always directionally consistent in the way the chained craters appeared, the full crater at the start of the chain and semi-circles formed from subsequent discharges.

I'll stop here for now. dz

[lk]

.I don't know a lot about electronics, but I think a CRT [cathode ray tube] is what a tv screen or computer monitor screen mainly consists of. Right? And I heard that tv sets are dangerous even when unplugged, because they have large capacitors or something that can electrocute a person, if not careful. Is such a capacitor [maybe smaller and safer?] that is part of the VGA CRT [computer screen] what arced to your finger and made the crater shapes in the dust on the screen surface? Or was the CRT plugged into an electrical circuit? I mean, what produced the arcs?
.If you haven't done so, can you and would you agree to experiment with various kinds and depths of dust, powder and other granulated material, as well as make video clips and post them on the net?
.If you get time, I hope to hear a sufficiently detailed description of how to set up and perform the experiment.
.By the way, why would an assistant already have to know about the electric universe theory? Couldn't you explain the theory to them in about 5 minutes, if they didn't already know about it? I think that would make finding an assistant a lot easier. Even if an assistant is a doubter, why would that matter?

[dahlenaz]

You are right about the internal hazards. There could be something wrong with this old CRT that makes it unusually prone to discharge but i get discharges from my new AC/DC portable tv/vcr, not as intense but not much different other than that.
There is one detail which is noteworthy, when the air is humid the CRT & TV are less active so this experiment may not be possible in some regions or climatic conditions. An air conditioned room may give similar results.
The experiment is simple, when the TV or CRT needs cleaning don't touch it, bring your finger into close proximity to the screen and listen for a discharge and watch the material to see if it is disturbed. Once an area has discharged move to another area. Most my test are with the power on but occasionally i can get a discharge when it is turned off. I am speculating that when the tube is energized it develops the static charge.

Discharges always carry material off the tube to my finger. That
material has been seen to accumulate in a concentrated area in
addition to around the closest point to the Tube. This might be the
same blistering effect at larger scale and amperage. Material is also
disturbed on the surface prior to the primary discharge. Additionally,
material can be seen being cleaned off in micro detail prior to the
primary dischage, this need to be examined in high definition and slow
speed to get a sense of the surface changes occuring.

It takes a while for material to accumulate on the tube so do intend to cause some artificial accumulations. I'll get back to you. dahlenaz

[dahlenaz]

I've posted an 8 second video clip to Youtube. Key words are Static Discharge Cratering. The url is; ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5ZVyhwdNWk ) dz

[iantresman]

Fantastic, science in action.

• Have you considered using a needle, or similar, rather than you finger?
  
• And then using a larger blunt metal discharge rod?
  
• And then orientating the photograph of CRT tube so that it is horizontal (ie. appears to be the ground)
  
• And moving the discharge rod towards the screen more slowly.
  
• And does it make any difference, depending on what you're standing on
  
• If you could remove yourself from the experiment entirely (ie. the discharge tube is held by a laboratory stand), it would be more reproducible.
  

Can you include a sample image on the forum? Please note that at some point the forum will become public.
_________________
Ian Tresman
www.plasma-universe.com

[dahlenaz]

Ian, here are some answers.

And moving the discharge rod towards the screen more slowly?
>dz> I have that on another part of the video, i'll send it to you or
post it to youtube but the latter may not be as easy.

Have you considered using a needle, or similar, rather than you finger?
>dz> I've just tried that with no result, i'll keep trying but i'd expect
that the larger surface area will give the best results. dahlenaz

[lk]

.It was good of you to put that clip on youtube. I think I saw 4 circles that were produced under your finger during the filming. I was surprised at how they turned out. From you previous description, I thought the edges of the initial circles would be obscured by the succeeding circles and only the last circle would remain whole. But it seems just the opposite happened: the first circle remained whole and the succeeding circles were incomplete.
.Do you think the circles are produced by an electric discharge arc? I wasn't able to see an arc. Did you say before you think it's static electricity? If so, can you build up static charge by rubbing your shoes on carpet or something and then redo the experiment?
.Do you have a CRT that you can lay back so the screen is horizontal and then spread a small area with about an eighth or quarter inch of powder etc and then retry the experiment?
.If the effect is from static electricity, it's probably not real analogous to crater formation, but it may be similar enough to help learn something about crater formation.
.It looks like the dust particles may have a small charge and your finger may have the same charge and when you put it close enough to the dust, it repels some of it, but I don't know why the dust in the centers of the circles would not also be repelled. Also, if you hold your finger at a constant distance from the surface while moving it, it seems that mere repulsion would produce a solid line, rather than a series of circles.
.I noticed that your finger wasn't at a constant distance when moving tho. Is it too hard to keep constant? Could you put a smooth board etc on the CRT and slide your palm on the board to help keep your finger at a steady distance?
.Don't CRTs spray out electrons through the screen when they're turned on? When they're turned off I wonder if the electrons leave behind a static charge on the dust etc.
.What are you wanting an assistant to do with you at the conference?

[dahlenaz]

deleated

[dahlenaz]

Be sure to go back a read all my previous post because as questions are raised or typos are noticed i'm editing and adding material rather than posting anew. this will reduce e-mail clutter and refine the talking points.
dz[/img]

[dahlenaz]

lk commented; "It looks like the dust particles may have a small charge and your
finger may have the same charge and when you put it close enough to
the dust, it repels some of it, but I don't know why the dust in the
centers of the circles would not also be repelled."

>dz> There are several different forms of activity occurring on the tube's
surface. The majority of it involves dissimilar charge which causes
attraction and discharge. The movement of some objects, which look
like lint, on the surface needs to be watched closely to see if they
are being repelled. I think that debris is being repelled but i don't
know if it is dust.

From an observation of the debris adjacent to the surface of the CRT,
as power was being applied, the surface seems to be getting energized
by the internal characteristics of the tube. The Electron Gun is the
component that I suspect is responsible for this but here is one big
knowledge gap and my books don't cover it well. Searches are ongoing.


The central areas of undisturbed dust is a curiosity that goes beyond
what the one portion of video shows. There are radial features in many
of the craters which lead me to think about the imagined field lines
of a magnet or the patterns seen from a plasma gun. The discharges seem to be concentrating material around the
perimeter while also depositing material to the finger tip and leaving the center less disturbed , this last detail is a common
feature of many craters on celestial bodies.

There has been discussion about craters being machined out, as is
demonstrated on Wal's CD, but there are many craters which look to have
been scooped of their material so there may be varying degrees of
cratering based on intensity.

I've been upgrading my capability to document
these patterns with digital video and a computer that can handle the
data but i'm still working from a dial-up location and limited
computer savvy.

At this update, 11/07, a portion of what has been captured to images is on the web at the sites mentioned below.

[dahlenaz]

http://www.electric-spark-scars.com will take you to this initial site;

http://www.geocities.com/dhlndsign/Static_Discharge_Pattern.html

I will be editing this page to contain the following clarification of my thoughts.
"Experiments with static discharge, to a dust covered CRT, offer a simple tool to help understand the formation of crater chains, in particular, and potentially other crater features as well."

More images and observation have been posted to a variety of pages, follow them links. zane

[dahlenaz]

lk made and important statement that should not be overlooked.

" Maybe this experiment isn't sophisticated enough for Thornhill et al, since they have access to more advanced equipment. But it sounds like it might interest more average readers, if it involves cheap and readily available hardware, that they could get and work with themselves to see the results. In one of the TPODs they used an image from some guy's website where he showed interesting effects in Tesla-like demonstrations.
.A cheap experiment like that would probably interest a lot of high school science classes and that would be a good way to introduce young people to the electric universe model."

He got to the root motivation of my efforts to bring these patterns to the attention of the hi-tech folks. Dave can attest to my feelings that the one thing that has captivated my interest in much of the Kronia-effort is it offers people a solution to many complex issues which they may not be able to comprehend at the highest levels of complexity but where they are, knowledge-wise, there will be many details that they can relate to, such as petroglyphs, lightening, ancient architecture and art and of course static discharges plus so much more. It is at this level that future advancements will spring but they must be met at their level and in a language they understand. Forget about trying to convince the technicaly rigid and entrenched, they'll only lead to sleepless nights and long windedness. There is an acronym to apply here KISS ( keep it short and simple) dz

Several static discharge pic have been placed at a page under construction at http://www.geocities.com/dhlndsign/index.htm There will be more added.