On the stability of ball lightning with respect to its own and induced charges

Abstract

Using the analogy between the charged drop which hangs in an electrostatic suspension and ball lightning (BL) with an electric charge and floating in the air in the superposition of the gravitational and electrostatic fields, the two phenomena which differ only by the role of the ascending force, inferences are deduced on the role of some physical properties of BL and the peculiarities of its movement and existence. It was shown that with the fixed physical parameters of BL its radius cannot exceed a certain value. The same can be said about the ratio of the densities of the substance of BL and the environment, as well as the value of its coefficient of surface tension.