Power Delivery of the Future

This paper is written to provide an insight into the physics and engineering that go into power delivery of the future. Topics covered are Fault Current Limiters (FCL) including Superconducting FCL and Emission Limited FCL; Lightning and Restoration Preparedness; Compressed-Gas-Insulated Delivery; Evaporative Cooling Delivery; Advanced Delivery Technologies Requiring Big Breakthroughs such as Conducting Polymers, Electron-Beam Delivery, Microwave Delivery, and Laser-Beam Delivery.Comment: 10 pages, 0 figure

Ball Lightning: Manifestation of Cosmic Little Black Holes

A case is made that in encounters with the earth's atmosphere, astrophysical little black holes (LBH) can manifest themselves as the core energy source of balllightning (BL). Relating the LBH incidence rate on earth to BL occurrence has the potential of shedding light on the distribution of LBH in the universe, and their velocities relative to the earth. Most BL features can be explained by a testable LBH model. Analyses are presented to support this model. LBH produce complex and many-faceted interactions in air directly and via their exhaust, resulting in excitation, ionization, and radiation due to processes such as gravitational and electrostatic tidal force, bremsstrahlung, pair production and annihilation, orbital electron near-capture by interaction with a charged LBH. Gravitational interaction of atmospheric atoms with LBH can result in an enhanced cross-section for polarization and ionization. An estimate for the power radiated by BL ~ Watts is in agreement with observation. An upper limit is found for the largest masses that can produce ionization and polarization excitation. It is shown that the LBH high power exhaust radiation is not prominent and its effects are consistent with observations.Comment: 24 pages, 0 figure

Falling Bodies: the Obvious,the Subtle, and the Wrong

An important scientific debate took place regarding falling bodies hundreds of years ago, and it still warrants introspection. Galileo argued that in a vacuum all bodies fall at the same rate relative to the earth, independent of their mass. Aristotle seemed to consider all media to be viscous, and argued that heavier bodies fall faster. Aristotle was challenged by Philoponus, who argued that light and heavy weights fall about equally fast in air, eleven hundred years before Galileo. As we shall see, the problem is more subtle than meets the eye -- even in a frictionless medium. Philoponus and Galileo are right part of the time, and Aristotle is partly right some of the time. In fact they are all wrong the rest of the time, with the lightest body falling fastest when two bodies fall toward the earth. In principle the results of a free fall experiment depend on whether falling masses originate on earth, are extraterrestrial, are sequential or concurrent, or are simultaneous for coincident or separated bodies, etc. When single falling bodies originate from the earth, all bodies (light and heavy) fall at the same rate relative to the earth in agreement with Galileo's view. Einstein's General Relativity (EGR), in which gravity is due to space-time curvature, was motivated by the Galilean notion that free-fall is independent of the mass and properties of a falling body, and is just due to the properties of the milieu it finds itself in. Quantum mechanics is found to violate the Equivalence Principle of EGR.Comment: In the 3-body rectilinear problem, an interesting comparison is made between a purely center of mass consideration without introducing an attraction force, and analysis of this problem using the gravitational forc

Effect of the Fast Nuclear Electromagnetic Pulse on the Electric Power Grid Nationwide: A Different View

This paper primarily considers the potential effects of a single high-altitude nuclear burst on the U.S. power grid. A comparison is made between EMP and natural phenomena such as lightning. This paper concludes that EMP is no more harmful to the power grid than its counterparts in nature. An upper limit of the electric field of the very fast, high-amplitude EMP is derived from first principles. The resulting values are significantly lower than the commonly presented values. Additional calculations show that the ionization produced by a nuclear burst severely attenuates the EMP.Comment: 22 pages, 3 figures, 6 table

Little Black Holes:Dark Matter And Ball Lightning

Small,quiescent black holes can be considered as candidates for the missing dark matter of the universe,and as the core energy source of ball lightning.By means of gravitational tunneling,directed radiation is emitted from black holes in a process much attenuated from that of Hawking radiation,P SH, which has proven elusive to detect.Gravitational tunneling emission is similar to electric field emission of electronsfrom a metal in that a second body is involved which lowers the barrier and gives the barrier a finite rather than infinite width.Hawking deals with a single isolated black hole.Comment: 27 pages, 2 figure

Improved Power System of the Future

This paper is intended to provide an insight into physics and engineering that can modernize electric power systems. Topics covered are Flexible ac transmission systems (FACTS), Custom Power, Greatly improved Capacitors, Electrical Insulation, Distribution Cables, Improved Polymeric Insulation, Underground Vault Explosions, Fault Location, Smart Cables, Neutral and Ground, Corrosion and Protection, Conventional Transformers, Compact Transformers, Ferroresonance, and Solid State Transformers.Comment: 16 pages,0 figure

Quantum and Classical Variance in the Quantum Realm

This paper examines the variance of quantum and classical predictions in the quantum realm, as well as unexpected presence and absence of variances. Some features are found that share an indirect commonality with the Aharonov-Bohm and Aharonov-Casher effects in that there is a quantum action in the absence of a force. Variances are also found in the presence of a force that are more subtle as they are of higher order. Significant variances related to the harmonic oscillator and particle in a box periods are found. This paper raises the question whether apparent quantum self-inconsistency may be examined internally, or must be empirically ascertained. These inherent variances may either point to inconsistencies in quantum mechanics that should be fixed, or that nature is manifestly more non-classical than expected. For the harmonic oscillator it is proven that the second spatial moment is the same in QM and CM.Comment: Expansion and clarification of my earlier paper, plus some new materia

Phenomenological Theory of Superfluidity and Superconductivity

Quantum condensation is used here as the basis for a phenomenological theory of superfluidity and superconductivity. It leads to remarkably good calculations of the transition temperatures T c of superfluid 3 He and 4 He, as well as a large number of cuprate, heavy fermion, organic, dichalcogenide, and bismuth oxide super- conductors. Although this approach may apply least to the long coherence length metallics, reasonably good estimates are made for them, and chevral superconductors. T c for atomic H is estimated. T c can be calculated as a function of number density or density of states, and effective mass of normal carriers; or alternatively with the Fermi energy as the only input parameter. Predictions are made for a total of 26 superconductors and 4 superfluids. An estimate is also made for coherence lengths.Comment: 14 pages, 1 table, 0 figure

Do the Laws of Nature and Physics Agree About What is Allowed and Forbidden?

There are countless examples in the history of science that not only were the laws of physics often incomplete and more limited in their domain of validity than was realized, but at times they missed the mark completely. Despite this, our collective memory is often short on such matters, focusing on present triumphs and quickly forgetting past failures. This makes us less tolerant to that which challenges present orthodoxy. It may be of value to recall such past deficiences as well as present shortcomings, particularly since science may always be encumbered with such limitations. We can avoid serious pitfalls if we let the past serve as a guide to the future. Subjects covered will include Godel's theorem, superconductivity, zero-point energy, the quantum and classical Aharonov-Bohm and similar effects, theories of general relativity, Mach's principle, black hole radiation, ball lightning, and the universe(s).Comment: 30 pages, 0 figure

Frequency Dependence of Superconducting Cavity Q and Magnetic Breakdown Field

A theoretical explanation is given to account for the unexpected observation that L- and S-band Nb superconducting cavities were found to have lower Q and lower magnetic breakdown field than those of the higher X-band frequencies. Both effects can be related to the trapping of magnetic flux in the cavity walls. The frequency dependence arises from the frequency dependence of the resistivity of oscillating fluxoids. Calculations based on this model are in agreement with experimental observations.Comment: 6 page