James L. Tuck Los Alamos ball lightning pioneer

Conference · Thu Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1999

OSTI ID:20067607

Baker, D A

James Tuck was well known for starting the Project Sherwood group at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory in 1952. This group was formed to study and develop concepts for controlled fusion energy. In his later years after retiring from Controlled Fusion Division, he continued research at Los Alamos on the topic of ball lightning. He traveled widely giving lectures on both observations of others and his own experimental efforts. He collected anecdotal observations obtained from those in his lecture audiences during his travels and from responses from newspaper articles where he asked for specific information from ball lightning observers. He finally cut off this collection of data when the number of responses became overwhelming. The author's primary publication on ball lightning was a short laboratory report. He planned on publishing a book on the subject but this was never completed before his death. Tuck focused his experimental effort on attempting to duplicate the production of plasma balls claimed to be observed in US Navy submarines when a switch was opened under overload conditions with battery power. During lunch breaks he made use of a Los Alamos N-division battery bank facility to mock up a submarine power pack and switch gear. This non-funded effort was abruptly terminated when an explosion occurred in the facility. An overview of Tuck's research and views will be given. The flavor Jim's personality as well as a ball produced with his experimental apparatus will be shown using video chips.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy
• OSTI ID: 20067607
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BALL LIGHTNING
HISTORICAL ASPECTS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SCIENTIFIC PERSONNEL