Re: [Vo]:ion currents in pingpong balls

[Horace Heffner]

A definitive test for thread vs drops would be the ability to  
instantly transmit an AC signal or fast pulse chain along the  
thread.  You have already determined the thread velocity to be 5 to  
10 MPH.  It would take a couple isolation transformers T1 and T2, one  
with primary in series with each electrode, each primary and  
secondary coil possibly made from a few turns of 20 KV test lead  
wrapped around a small ferrite core, an oscilloscope on the secondary  
of T2, and a sparker circuit consisting of a HV DC supply and maybe  
very small HV cap to discharge through T1 secondary of the isolation  
transformer coils.

------HV----------
|                |
|                |
|     C1         |
|-----| |---R1---|
|         |      |
|         |      |
|         ---SW--|
|                |
|                |---Ground
|                |
T1===Sparker     T2===Oscilloscope
|                |
|                |
------>  |--------
  Filament Gap

Fig. 1 - Jet spark circuit

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Regards,

Horace Heffner