bwilson@newshost (Bob Wilson) wrote:
>HRD6959619 (hrd6959619@aol.com) wrote:
>: What is this and what does it do. HOw many volts are produced and
>: could it make cool looking lightning shots. Any info would be
>: greatly appreciated.
>It generates very high voltages of static electricity. What does it
>really do? Makes your hair stand on end when you touch it! :) Voltage
>produced? Usually in the range of 500,000 to 1,000,000 Volts as I recall
>my high school days, when we made one for a science project.
Electrostatic means for producing very high DC voltages are still used
in a few applications. The company I work for makes electrostatic
particle accelerators that operate in the range of 1MV to 25 MV.
(That's M for Mega.)
While the company that Robert Van de Graff founded has not made
particle accelerators for many years, National Electrostatics Corp
continues to dominate the field above about 4MV. In the realm below 3
MV there is actually quite a bit of competition. Most of these
accelerators are sold for physics research, but, especially lately,
more and more are going into various materials analysis applications.
I am currently working on a few that we have in the field that are to
be used for carbon dating. Running carbon atoms through an
accelerator with a 5MV terminal will allow us to produce a 25 MeV
carbon ion beam. (carbon with a charge of -1 in, carbon with a charge
of +4 out)
We spend a great deal of effort trying to avoid those "cool sparks."
Jim
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Melissa Kepner Jim Adney
mgkepner@facstaff.wisc.edu jradney@mpcug.com
Laura Kepner-Adney
Madison, Wisconsin
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Date: Mon, 17 Jun 1996 01:32:50 GMT
Original Subject: Re: Van De graff Generator?