Thanks, Nigel A very good reference. There are certainly lots of variables to consider. I've only perused it, but I found the long (- 50 minute half-life) gamma/x-ray after-glow (described on pp.24-5) particularly intriguing.
I haven't had time to look into the lab spark experiments cited, but it seems important (if difficult) to determine the current density in the air sparks to get a complete picture. -- Lou Pagnucco > Lou, the answer is, its complicated, but very interesting and conditions > can be recreated in the lab, and the guy who knows all about this is Joe > Dwyer. He has done an excellent review > > http://www.springerlink.com/content/l112wv31n5446564/ > > You also get gamma rays, and he has shown that these are generated with > a down stroke (ie the bit that you don't see) and appear to be > associated with the formation of each fork in the stepped leader (see > fig 18). > > Nigel > > On 06/11/2012 15:27, [email protected] wrote: >> Nigel, >> >> Thanks for spreading that information. It is a surprising phenomenon. >> >> I believe some lightning generates neutrons and positrons, but some does >> not. >> >> Do you know what the conditions produce neutrons/positrons? >> Also, whether these conditions can be replicated in the lab? >> >> -- Lou Pagnucco >> >>> And I think I may be able to claim responsibility for the inclusion of >>> the paragraph about neutron release in thunderstorms, given my >>> discussions over the last couple of years with John Swain. >>> >>> Nigel >>> >>> On 06/11/2012 02:41, [email protected] wrote: >>>> Just published on Arxiv.org -- >>>> >>>> "Theories of Low Energy Nuclear Transmutations" >>>> - Y.N. Srivastava, A. Widom, J. Swain >>>> >>>> ABSTRACT: Employing concrete examples from nuclear physics it is >>>> shown >>>> that low energy nuclear reactions can and have been induced by all of >>>> the >>>> four fundamental interactions (i) (stellar) gravitational, (ii) >>>> strong, >>>> (iii) electromagnetic and (iv) weak. Differences are highlighted >>>> through >>>> the great diversity in the rates and similarity through the nature of >>>> the >>>> nuclear reactions initiated by each. >>>> >>>> http://arxiv.org/abs/1211.0924 >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> >>> >> >> > > >
