http://SaturnianCosmology.Org/ mirrored file For complete access to all the files of this collection see http://SaturnianCosmology.org/search.php ========================================================== * Solar Physics: Magnetism's Blind Alley * *E. W. Crew FRAS, 26 St Davids Drive, Broxbourne, Herts EN10 7LS, UK.* *In 1752 Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) discovered that lightning was an electrical current, like a spark on a huge scale. In 1941 Charles Bruce (1902-1979) discovered that a jet ejected from the Sun had the characteristics of lightning and claimed it was also an electrical current, or cosmic lightning. He described evidence that there were similar electrical discharges at much greater scales in other stellar systems and in galaxies. In 1998 Laszlo Körtvélyessy discovered that electrical discharges are produced by a thermoelectric process and published a book claiming that this solved most of the outstanding problems of solar physics. A review of this book was published in The Observatory Magazine and is included in the following text.* *Charles Bruce* Although expressing many reservations, most astronomers seem convinced that magnetism is the main factor in solar physics. It is claimed that powerful magnetism must be generated below the solar surface layer and bursts through periodically, causing sunspots and the many types of observed eruptions from the Sun. This is a theoretical idea with so far no direct observational evidence. The rotation of the Sun is supposed to twist the magnetic field like rubber bands, breaking with explosive force. However it has not been possible to reproduce this on a small scale in terresrial laboratories. In fact if it did happen, large electric motors and generators with rotors spinning at high speed in strong magnetic fields would not continue to work reliably and Faraday would have been unable to invent electrical machines and Laithwaite his linear motors. Physics states that magnetism will exert a force on a current carrying conductor, and this force is at right angles to the magnetic field. It cannot cause expulsion of charged particles in the direction of the field. To overcome this problem there are many ideas about the nature of the magnetic fields in the Sun, but these often give rise to more problems. *Laszlo Körtvélyessy* Copy review of Körtvélyessy’s book published in /The Observatory/, *120*. 2000 October. *"The Electric Universe, by L. Körtvelyéssy (EFO, Budapest), 1998. Pp. 704, 24 x 17 cm. (hardbound; ISBN 9 638 24319 8).* * *One of the most perplexing problems of the Sun is how the observed extensive magnetic fields form. An authoritative book states that a question remaining open is "The nature, or even existence, of the solar dynamo to generate the magnetic fields that give rise to solar activity."(1). The answer is clearly stated in /The Electric Universe/; a splendidly illustrated and expensively-produced book by the Hungarian physicist Dr L. Körtvélyessy (ab. L.K.), written in English, with a few minor errors due to language difficulties. The heat of fusion in the solar core causes its atomic particles to attain high velocities, so that there is a continuous current flow along the temperature gradient from core to surface. Electrons are predominant in this flow as they have well over 1000 times less mass than a proton. This gives the surface of the Sun a layer of negative charge and the core an increasing positive charge. A continuous solar wind is ejected from the surface and periodically the positive charge on the core exceeds the breakdown value, causing planet-sized pieces to break away and be expelled towards the surface. The forces involved are gravitation, electro- magnetic, eddy currents and gyroscopic. L.K. shows that this mechanism, briefly sketched here, explains nearly all the solar characteristics, such as sunspots, magnetic fields, flares, prominences, periodic variations, neutrinos, the apparent high temperature of the corona and the influences on Earth's climate. It is based on a rational explanation of the generated electric power needed for these features. The hypothesis of a dynamo involving moving flows of highly conducting material and "frozen in" magnetic fields inside the Sun is unnecessary. This idea is now a relic of the past. The evidence for large-scale electrical discharges was described by C.E.R.Bruce (1902 - 1979)(2) but his published papers and mine(3) were unable to offer a satisfactory explanation of the massive charge separation and accumulation required. Most astronomers ignored the evidence for electrical discharges, even in books claiming to include all aspects of astronomy, but now that L.K. has described a charging process of sufficient magnitude, this attitude can no longer be justified. L.K. has applied his theory to the design of his very successful patented industrial thermocouples, described in his book(4) on the subject. Both conductors of a thermocouple generate a voltage when there is a temperature difference between the junction at the hot end and the instrument connection at the cold end. The temperature reading is caused by the difference of these voltages. His very profitable thermocouple factory has enabled him to establish observatories in Germany and Hungary to study the Sun on a regular basis. /The Electric Universe /also includes an explanation of neutron stars and their magnetic fields and also comments on the filamentary nature of the Universe as a whole. L.K. offers his book to astronomers free of charge, and he has posted a copy to many individuals, but in order to discourage frivolous requests for a copy he asks that unless the book is for a professional library the person requesting a copy should donate an appropriate sum to a charity, say Ł25 or equivalent. Send requests to Dr L. Körtvelyéssy, Klever Berg 21, D-47433 Kleve, Germany. Email contact is >. Further information is on his website http://www.electric-universe.de - E W CREW /References./ (1) K. J. H. Phillips, /Guide to the Sun /(Cambridge University Press), 1992, page 72. (2) C. E. R. Bruce, /The Observatory,/ 95, 204, 1975 (3) E. W. Crew, /The Observatory/, 101, 1040, 1981 (4) L. Körtvelyéssy, /Thermoelement Praxis,/ Vulkan-Verlag Essen, 1981 (in German)." End copy review *Eric Crew* *HV electrical discharge in test lab. Showing filaments.* *Summary * For many years professional astronomers have claimed that magnetism is the main force in solar physics. This idea requires a very powerful 'dynamo' somewhere below the solar surface producing magnetism which extends far out in the form of tubes and the equivalent of elastic bands. The movements in solar layers cause the 'bands' to twist and break, releasing enormous forces and causing the ejection of billions of tons of matter at very high velocities. This idea is based on specialised mathematics rather than experimental evidence and it is vague about the cause and function of the electricity required to produce such vast amounts of magnetism. The present situation is comparable with the efforts of Ptolemy to explain planetary orbits in terms of circular motions involving epicycles. Mathematically it produced a fair agreement with observations, but the cause of the peculiar planetary paths remained a complete mystery until astronomers deduced the orbits were elliptical and the force of gravity explained the movements. This force is also applicable to solar physics, but an additional major force is required, preferably without the problems of the mainly magnetic theory. The obvious solution is that the electricity acts directly and has no need of a hypothetical dynamo. As described in 'The Electrical Universe', streams of charged particles produce a surrounding magnetic field causing the current to flow in channels as filaments, rather like terrestrial lightning. When the particles are mainly the continuous flow of electrons from the solar core, they produce the normal solar wind. When positive particles break out periodically they produce what NASA describes as a "proton storm". Free electrons in the solar atmosphere are attracted to and combine with boundary protons of the ejected mass and the reaction is similar to that which would be caused by a temperature of millions of degrees, although the medium is no hotter than the photosphere. This 'high temperature problem' no longer exists. The 'mainly electrical' theory is fully supported by experimental and observational evidence. It is well established that heat causes rapid movement of particles in a gas and also causes evaporation of liquids. If a conductor is heated at one end, electrons travel to the cold end. Filaments are indications of electrical discharges and it is noteworthy that as space probes have improved, the images are more detailed and filaments are clearly visible in, for instance, solar coronal discharges (TRACE). There is a striking difference between the image of Cassiopeia A from ROSAT (little more than a blob of light) and the same object from CHANDRA (a mass of filaments). Some astronomers may oppose the claim that a continual flow of electrons emerges from the solar core and, after a journey of over 600,000 km to the surface, then continues as the main component of the solar wind, with intermittent additional flows of masses of protons. However this electrical theory is more reasonable and has fewer problems than the magnetic theory. * E. W. Crew 2002 October 08* * .>*