Ball Lightning as a Hot, Highly Charged, Sphere of Air

Abstract

An exceptionally simple model of ball lightning is proposed that describes it as a highly charged sphere of hot, conductive, air surrounded by colder air. This conductive sphere possesses a net excess of charge. This charge will create a corona discharge that will heat the surrounding air thus maintaining the temperature of the ball itself. Numerical simulations are presented which give results that would appear to agree with what many witnesses have reported. It is argued that such spheres are likely positively charged.