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On the Nature of Ball Lightning

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Part of the book series: Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science ((BSPS,volume 46))

Abstract

The nature of ball lightning remains obscure. This is so because ball lightning represents a rather rare phenomenon which no one has so far managed to reproduce quite convincingly in laboratory conditions. There are many hypotheses about the nature of ball lightning [1, 2], but our present remarks have apparently not been published so far. They deserve attention mainly because their verification leads to a well-defined avenue of experimental research.

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References

  1. Brand, W., Der Kugelblitz, Hamburg, 1923.

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  2. Stekol’nikov, I. S., ‘Fizika molnii i grozozashchita’, [The Physics of Lightning Protection from Thunderstorms]. Izdatel’stvo AN SSSR, Moscow, 1943, p. 145.

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  3. The Effects of Atomic Weapons, London, 1950, § 2.15.

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  4. Rossmann, F., ‘Ueber den Kugelblitz’, Wetter und Klima, March-April 1949, p. 75.

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  5. Durward, J., Nature 169, 563 (1952).

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  6. Benndorf, G., Atmosfernoe elektrichestvo [Atmospheric Electricity (Translated from the German)]. Moscow, GITTL, 1934, p. 51.

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  7. Schonland, B. F. J., The Flight of Thunderbolts, Oxford, 1950, p. 47.

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© 1980 D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, Holland

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Kapitza, P.L. (1980). On the Nature of Ball Lightning. In: Experiment, Theory, Practice. Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science, vol 46. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-8977-1_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-8977-1_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-277-1062-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-8977-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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