26
Electricity of the air
Fig. 2.9: Spectrum of frequency of one lightning,
measured
field strength at a distance of 1.6 km from the place
of origin. See Watt and Maxwell:
___
from: ____________________________________________________________
: H.L. Konig: Unsichtbare Umwelt (Wetterfuhligk.), 5.Aufl., Bild 38, Seite 27,
Verl. Moos & Partner Munchen, ISBN 3-89164-058-7, see .
Tasks
27
2.9 Electricity of the air
The electrostatic field strength of the earth lies between 50 and 500 V/m. That is a whole
lot considering that voltages off 60 Volts can be lethal for man. But a
living person
distorts the terrestrial E-field for reason of his own field and his electric conductivity, so
that there exists no danger for him as long as he doesn't grow into the sky.
Maybe the dinosaurs had to become extinct because they were to big and for instance the
E-field near the ground had risen with a jump by a meteorite that brought a high charge
from the cosmos. That would explain why the smaller living beings could survive the
natural disaster.
Also the thunderstorm electricity can become life-threatening. Burns, heart and brain
failures are the most common consequences. After all the probability to be struck by
lightning is four times higher as to have six right ones in the lottery.
Over the lightning channel of approx. 1 meter in diameter charges between 10 and 200 C
are transported what results in current strengths of 2000 up to 200,000 A. The main
discharge lasts between 10 and 50 usec. With the preceding and all the following
discharges it lasts over a second.
Field strengths on the scale of 4,000 V/m are typical but in a distance of 5 km these wear
off to 8 V/m. The frequency spectrum of a lightning reaches 4 powers of ten into the range
of the radio waves. In fig. 2.9 is shown the field strength measured in a distance of 1.6 km
from the place of origin
.
The origin of lightnings is still an unsolved problem after the well-known models (Wilson)
arc not in a position to explain the reason for the origin of the potential difference of more
than 100 million Volts required for the ionization of the air. Also the lightnings that struck
in the direction of the ionosphere still are mysterious.
We'll have to come back to this
.
: H.L. Konig: Unsichtbare Umwelt (Wetterfuhligkeit), 5. Aufl., Bild 38, Seite 27,
Verlag Moos & Partner Munchen, ISBN 3-89164-058-7, according to .
: A. D. Watt and E. L. Maxwell: Characterisic of Atmospheric Noise from 1 to
100 Kc/s. Symposium on the Propagation of VLF Waves,
Boulder, Col., Paper 35, Jan. 1957.
: see Part 1, chapter 5.4 and part 2, chapter 14.11.
28
Biological effects
Fig. 2.10 A: Effect of a static magnetic field of 100
kA/m (0,12
Tesla) on the root (I) and on the plant (II) of barley
seeds.
plants in the magnetic field: dotted line
plants for checking: drawn line
according to Novitskii
: Novitskii, Yu.I.: Effects of a magnetic field on the dry seeds of some cereals.
Proceedings of Conference on the Effect of Magnetic Fields on Biological
Objects, Moscow, p. 52, 1966.
Taken from: H.L. Konig: Unsichtbare Umwelt (Wetterfuhligkeit), 5. Aufl.,
Bild 72, S. 73, Verlag Moos & Partner Munchen, ISBN 3-89164-058-7
Tasks
29
2.10 Biological effects
The in fig. 2.1 indicated connection between the EMC and the BC, by some authors
inofficially described as EMC-environment (EMCE), describes the effect of artificial
fields on biological systems. This concerns the sensitive range of tasks that is discussed
extremely controversially in the public. The problem thereby is that the artificially
produced field strengths lie above the natural field strengths for several scales.
In the thirties first reports about troubles were provided by navy radio operators that
complained about headache, dizzyness, concentration failure and indisposition. Besides
these negative reports concerning the so called "radio operator disease" at the same time
medical usages concerning high-frequency therapy were tested. In the beginning this
diathermy called healing method still was a short wave irradiation. Today it is extended
into the microwave range and uses the thermal effect of electromagnetic rays. The
increased temperature of the tissue causes an increased local blood flow. This supports
healing processes, loosens cramped muscles and can help in case of rheumatic fever.
The advantage of the HF-irradiation compared to contact heat by a hot-water bottle or by
infrared rays is the higher penetration depth. Herein short waves are superior to
microwaves. But microwaves can be better focussed on a certain part of the body.
Is the temperature further increased, so the tissue is damaged. This is used for the
treatment of cancer and is called hyperthermy. Because cancer cells as a rule are flowed
w i t h blood worse than healthy cells, they are more sensitive to heat and therefore are faster
destroyed than healthy cells at a correspondingly increased temperature. In this way for
Instance in the USA cattle with a so called cancer eye are treated. For that the spot
suffering from cancer is irradiated with 2MHz-waves for 30 seconds with a handheld
apparatus of 10 Watts broadcasting power. The rate of succes is given to be 90%!
The method of hyperthermy has not yet been able to establish in the area of the medicine
for humans. Also at our college corresponding research work is carried out in co-operation
with the radiological clinic of the university of Freiburg (Germany )
.
T he thermal effects of high-frequency fields are therefore well-known and subject of
scientific research. On the other hand and in spite of numerous publications, non-thermal
effects even today are denied by some scientists as non-existent
. Here only a few
counter-examples will be listed.
Fig. 2.10 A shows the effect of a static magnetic field of 0.12 Tesla on the root (1) and on
thc plant (II) of barley seeds. The readable effect is an acceleration
of the growth of the
treated seeds (dotted line) compared to the plants for checking (drawn line)
.
: H. Schulz, W. Oppitz: Lokale Hyperthermie durch hochfrequente
Wirbelstrome, Medizin Technik 1, 1987.
: G. Nimtz: Mikrowellen, Einfuhrung in Theorie und Anwendung. 2. Aufl., BI-
Wissenschaftsverlag 1990, ISBN 3-411-03203-0
: Novitskii, Yu.I.: Effects of a magnetic field on the dry seeds of some cereals.
Proceedings of Conference on the Effect of Magnetic Fields on Biological
Objects, Moscow, p. 52, 1966; taken from: H.L. Konig: Unsichtbare Umwelt,
fig.72, p. 73, Verlag Moos & Partner Munchen, ISBN 3-89164-058-7