The experiments revealed that ball lightning is a self-confining quasi-neutral in a whole plasma system that rotates around its axis. Ball lightning has a structure of a spherical electric domain, consisting of a kernel with excess negative charge and an external spherical layer with excess positive charge. The excess of charges of one sort and the lack of charges of the other sort in the kernel or in the external spherical layer significantly reduces the possibility of electron capture by means of an electric field, created by the nearest ions and leads to a drastic slowdown of recombination process. Direct proof has been obtained that inside of ball lightning – in an external spherical layer that rotates around the axis – there is a circular current of sub-relativistic particles. This current creates and maintains its own poloidal magnetic field of ball lightning, i.e. it carries out the function of magnetic dynamo. The kernel of ball lightning is situated in a region with minimum values of induction of the magnetic field. The inequality of positive and negative charges in elements of ball lightning also significantly reduces losses of the charged plasma on bremsstrahlung. Ball lightning generation occurs in a plasmic vortex. The ball lightning energy in the region of its generation significantly differs from the ball lightning energy, which is drifting in space. The axial component of kinetic energy of particles slightly exceeds 100 keV and the rotational component of the ions energy is a bit greater than 1 MeV. Ball lightning is ‘embedded’ in atmosphere autonomous accelerator of charged particles of a cyclotron type due to self-generation of strong crossed electric and magnetic fields. A discussion of the conditions of stability and long-term existence of ball lightning is given.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Explanations for the long lifetime of spherically symmetric objects in nature and the short lifetime of laboratory plasma are given. A qualitative description of the relativistic model of ball lightning is also given, which is a spherical electric region with strong electric and magnetic fields. The plasma temperature in the zone of the ball-lightning generation is measured by the spectroscopic method. A large ball lightning, the maximum diameter of which is equal to one meter and which stands in the region of its generation, is also registered after the formation and departure of a high-energy ball lightning. The reason for the low emissive power in the optical range characteristic for the atmospheric ball lightning is explained by the absence of electron transitions in the outer proton-containing shell. The absence of electrical breakdown at ultrahigh electric field between the core and the outer shell of the ball lightning and its destruction at the moment when the resulting force becomes nonzero are also explained.