Electric-discharge experiments 6/2011

The discharge video which shows the beginings
of two of these amazing feature will soon be added here.
Parallel grooves appear at right angles
to ridge lines, dunes and other features.
Video is here!

Electrical-discharges and resultant disturbance and deposition of material on CRT

The experiments which produced these images were done with one primary goal, the objective being to provide supporting features for previous experiments and to conduct the experiments in such a manner so that the technical details can be discerened allowing for future replication to be accomplished with greater simplicity.

During these experiments, formation of some features was captured with high speed video equipment. This footage is viewable at 'dahlenaz07''s channel on youtube. Both videos are now posted

We are using old CRT's with highly active screen surfaces to create electrical discharges from the surface to a probe so as to observe the patterns formed in a dust covering or by subsequent movement of material to or around the surface. These features have many similarities with planetary features. We are attempting to determine if the same mechanism, electric discharge, can be assigned to the formation of some planetary features, such as; craters, crater chains, radial grooves and ridges and orderly mounds of material, as well as many other features.

Several observations were made which may help to determine what is happening to form these features;

Certain mixtures of material may cause a loss of dramatic discharge potential, noticed with local field dust.
Cleaning the monitor with distilled water may give the best results. Adatives to the cleaning solution can spoil the objective.
Surface covering started with foot powder and baking soda.
Humidity adversly influences dramatic potential of discharges.
Faster camera capture rate will be needed to discern the activity in some aspects of the discharges.
Formation of features through charging and discharging can be accomplished with only the inherant characteristic/parts of a single CRT, however a second monitor may be needed to accomplish electrical stratification and transfer of material to the subject monitor.
The probe used was not ideal and caused odd characteristcs in patterns, this may not be seen if a different probe is used. I was getting two patterns for the price of one in certain instances as i stayed with what had worked.
Features can be made with an energized monitor or de-energized;
power on produced round crater features, scallopes and negative releif spiders.
Power off discharges gave more diverse results and through it all additional material was diposited at previous locations of discharges.

The 'different probe' mentioned above, img; bwl-rg3-12386-s70, was made with a small mixing bowl as the probe. Another probe used was a steel ball, my finger and the computer connector of the CRT.