Lightning in a bottle

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Spacegoat
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Lightning in a bottle

Postby Spacegoat » Sun Oct 22, 2017 12:30 am UTC

So I have a question for Xkcd or anyone who can help so suppose you have a charged atmosphere in a bottle with a constant influx of electrons to cause lightning. Would the contained lightning consume the atmosphere untill their is no reaction matter or would it be self sustained?
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Zohar
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Re: Lightning in a bottle

Postby Zohar » Sun Oct 22, 2017 5:57 pm UTC

If you're constantly providing it with external particles how can you call it self sustaining?
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p1t1o
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Re: Lightning in a bottle

Postby p1t1o » Mon Oct 23, 2017 8:04 am UTC

Arent you basically describing a discharge light bulb, eg: a "neon light" ?

Lightning is not a reaction per se. Although chemical reactions may take place due to the high energy load, they are not necessary for "lightning".
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SDK
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Re: Lightning in a bottle

Postby SDK » Mon Oct 23, 2017 2:28 pm UTC

Yeah, nothing is "consumed" by the lightning. You should be able to keep it going indefinitely so long as you continue giving it enough energy to ionize the atmosphere inside.
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Eebster the Great
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Re: Lightning in a bottle

Postby Eebster the Great » Tue Oct 24, 2017 1:58 am UTC

You could just put a Van der Graaf generator in a bottle, right? I'm not sure how this is different.
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Sizik
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Re: Lightning in a bottle

Postby Sizik » Tue Oct 24, 2017 2:03 pm UTC

Sounds like a plasma globe.
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