Analysis of Conditions favorable for Ball Lightning Creation

TL;DR

This paper analyzes conditions for ball lightning formation, highlighting the role of high electric fields and positive lightning, and suggests laboratory creation without direct lightning contact, based on observational correlations.

Contribution

It proposes a new theory that ball lightning can form without direct lightning contact, emphasizing the importance of high electric fields and specific temporal structures.

Findings

Correlation between ball lightning and positive lightning

High electric fields are essential for formation

Laboratory creation of ball lightning is theoretically possible

Abstract

This report uses a few well documented cases of Ball Lightning (or BL for short) observations to demonstrate a correlation between BL and positive lightning, especially strong positive lightning. This allows to draw conclusions and predictions about future BL observations and the pro- duction of these objects in the laboratory. Contrary to many current BL theories, these objects can be created without direct contact to a lightning channel. Very high electric fields appear to be essential for the creation, together with the proper temporal structure of the field. So far no experiments have been performed along the ideas presented in this report.