Condign volumes 1 to 3

the propensity of balls to 'dart' towards power cables or any object where the radial does not exceed the local positive value.

52. In-Structure Phenomena The fact that the plasma phenomena can reportedly exist in closed metal structures suggests that, contrary to expectations, the existence of the ball is apparently not dependent on an external source but must retain it's own electric or magnetic field in order to exist and, once formed, is self-sustaining until its demise. Within the past year some researchers have suggested that atmospheric plasmas may owe their duration to a combination of both vertical and horizontal (i.e. orthogonal) magnetic looped fields which contain and sustain the phenomena. If this is the case the process may be applicable to any atmospheric plasma - however formed, if the field are strong enough. It has been proposed [6] that the stability of a volume (ball) of air at 16,000 to 30,000 degrees Kelvin might be contained within linked magnetic lines. Discharge arcs (e.g. lightning) advance along narrow tracks 50-100 $ \mu $ m in diameter in air. These streamers would only occupy a small volume of the ball. It is postulated that some of these form short circuits, resulting in circulating currents, each loop acting as a coil. the physical appearance of the charge-contgined ball would be shining and diffused. It can be shown by Maxwell's equations that a 'magnetic knot' is feasible and this has now been observed under laboratory conditions. The conducted energy cannot be stationary and is postulated to produce a slowly-varying magnetic field. The magnetic energy is a function of the ball radius, the vacuum magnetic permeability, the number of magnetic lines which are linked and a field normalising function. It is not within the scope of this study to pursue this important phenomenon further, other than to emphasise the likely connection between this, the formation of plasmas by meteors and the effects of varying magnetic fields on humans (Working Paper No 25), in the UAP context.

53. Demise For those balls/beads visible to humans it is reported that the silent demise is normally a simple fade in brightness and diameter, while the explosive demise is sometimes preceded by an increase in brightness and a colour change. Similarly,

plasmas of other origins than ball or bead lightning may also decay in the same way. Hence, in the UAP sighting reports it is almost impossible to determine the origin of a particular UAP because, it is believed, the behaviour is very similar. Further, if the premise that meteors (see Working Papers and statistical results at Volume 1) also cause the formation of UAP, then a UAP could be formed during a thunderstorm (as well as from ball or bead lightning) and similarly persist afterwards.

## SUMMARY - RELEVANCE TO UAP

54. An examination of a wide range of research into ball and bead lightning has shown that it is certainly connected with a proportion of the UAP reports received from within the UK airspace. Descriptions of these particular forms of lightning correlate in time, colour and motion with qualitative description often given by reliable UAP witnesses. Because those UAP which are formed and then reported as a result of lightning are, of course, transitory in nature and their form is apparently changing as they head towards demise, it is reasonable that the colour descriptions vary, that they exhibit strongly influential electrical field characteristics, exceptional motion and pyrotechnic displays. All of which are unfamiliar to the majority of the population.

## REFERENCES:

1. "Ball and Bead Lightning" J.D. Barry Plenum 1980.

2. "The Nature of Ball Lightning" S.Singer Plenum 1971.

3. "Hydrodynamic Model of the Interaction of Ball Lightning with the Airstream of an Aircraft in Flight" N.I. Gaidukov. Technical Physics 38(9) Sep 1993.

4. Turner D.J. "Ball Lightning" Phil Trans. Royal Society, London 1994.

5. Fryberger D. "A Model for Ball Lightning" Ostfold College Norway Report No. 1997:5 Part 1 (1994) Proc.