For years, scientists grappled with the puzzle of how ball lightning forms. In laboratory settings, Russian researchers have recreated the phenomenon and proposed a model in which ball lightning consists of a vaporized soil core encased by a solid shell. This interpretation is supported by findings from researchers at Moscow State University, summarized in reports and expert commentary. [Source: socialbites.ca]
According to this model, the sequence begins when a lightning discharge strikes the ground. The intense energy vaporizes portions of the soil, leaving behind a hollowed or perforated patch. As the surrounding vapor loses heat, its outer layers rapidly crystallize into a solid shell, generating a compact ball that encloses the heated vapor inside. The object travels near the speed of sound above the surface, yet the atmosphere gradually slows it. That rapid initial motion often leads observers to believe the phenomenon appeared from nowhere. [Source: socialbites.ca]
In this conception, ball lightning is a balloon of heated soil vapor contained by a thin crust of frozen oxides such as silicon or aluminum, just microns thick, which form while under high gas pressure. If the discharge carries a negative polarity, the resulting ball can exhibit levitation. The Earth’s surface, bearing a negative charge, can repel a ball with a like charge, influencing its movement and stability in the air. [Source: socialbites.ca]
Prior to this explanatory framework, numerous laboratory trials produced a variety of small, artificial lightning balls. Researchers documented several successful demonstrations and shared insights into the experimental setups used to generate these luminous spheres. Visual records accompanying the experiments show how controlled conditions can yield ball-like plasmas, advancing practical understanding without needing to observe natural events. [Source: socialbites.ca]