Robert J. Chassell wrote: > Now I'm wondering if there are sparks when a ship docks at the > space station ... > > Won't both the space station and the ship discharge or attact > electrons though needles, as is done with aircraft?
But what would it bleed off to? If the enviroment is FAIAP a vacuum then there is nothing to discharge too....I would think!?!?! Isn't some form of matter (even a plasma or some kind of ion path for potential equalization) required? I know the ISS orbits through the most tenuous of atmosphere, but is it enough to provide a potential equalization path? >Their charge is > the ambient. I remember from 8th grade (which was a very long time > ago; I am not positive of the truth) that corona dischages do not > require an atmosphere, except to be seen. The corona occurs when the atmosphere strips (or adds I suppose) electrons from the surface of the craft. Once outside the atmosphere the corona is maintained because there is no place for the charge to go. So when the craft docks........... I suppose much depends on whether the corona is positive or negative. Negative coronas vary upon surface features and positive coronas distribute more evenly over surfaces. > > Indeed, doesn't one kind of thermo-electric generator work because > the > heated side boils off electrons that jump through a vacuum to a > cooler > collector? At least, that is how I remember what I heard in the > 1960s. Hmmmm....I'm thinking there are multiple methods to generate electricity from thermal gradiants. xponent Seems To Want To Get Confused Maru rob _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
