Plasma Cosmology

8/9/2019 Plasma Cosmology

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Introduction

The new full colour E-BOOKS are now available. These are ideal for

teachers, general readers, and specialists alike. Go here for further

details.

Plasma Cosmology

This web site aims to provide an introduction to the emerging Plasma

Universe paradigm, and to explore some of the many profound

implications.

Mainstream science, for the most part, looks on the universe as

electrically neutral and purely mechanical; a place where the weak

force of gravity holds fort. Plasma Cosmology, by contrast,

acknowledges the electrodynamic nature of the universe. Gravity andinertia are NOT the only forces at work.

The history of science, of course, is fraught with controversy, and it

is important to bear in mind that the situation today is little different.

"A new scientific truth

does not triumph by

convincing its

opponents and making

them see the light, but

rather because its

opponents eventually

die, and a newgeneration grows up

that is familiar with it."

Max Planck

What is Plasma?

Plasma is the fourth state of matter. It differs from solids, liquids and

gases in so far as it's atoms are divided into free-floating 'negative'

electrons and 'positive' ions (an atom which has lost its electron/s). Itis sometimes referred to as an ionized gas.

Students are generally taught about only three states of matter, and

when Plasma does get a mention, little importance is assigned. Not

only should plasma be added to the list, but the order should be

reversed to put it in first place. The reasons for this will become

clear.

The term Plasma was borrowed from blood plasma in order to

describe its almost life-like and self-organising properties.

Plasma sometimes emits light when under the excitation of electrical

and magnetic fields. Polar auroras bear witness to this fact.

Where is it?

Plasma is almost everywhere. At least ninety-nine percent of the

known universe is, in fact, matter in its plasma state! The surface of

the sun is plasma; not hot gas, which is quite a different thing.

Plasma in space consists entirely of ions and electrons, and is thusvery energetic or 'hot'. Only when cooled does it form the matter to

which we are familiar here on Earth: solids, liquids, and gases.

http://www.plasmacosmology.net/index.html



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Because plasma remains electrically charged in space, it is

influenced more by electromagnetic forces than gravity. In fact

space, once considered mostly empty, has been found to be alive

with plasma. Vast flows of charged particles have been discovered

spanning hundreds-of-thousands of light years across interstellar space.

The most familiar examples of electrical plasmas here on earth are

neon signs and lighting, television screens, and electrical arc welding

machines. Fire and Lightning are also forms of Plasma.

Some behaviours and properties of Plasma

Plasma is an excellent conductor of electricity. Because of its free-

flowing electrons its conductive properties far surpass those of

copper and gold.

Due to its interaction with electromagnetism, plasmas display a

complexity in structure far exceeding that of matter in gaseous,

liquid, or solid states. It has a tendency to form into cellular and

filamentary structures.

These structures derive from the fact that a charged particle flow (or

current) produces a ring of magnetic fields around itself, 'pinching'

plasma into multi-filamentary strands, as can be seen on both cosmic

and more localised scales. Pictured right is a novelty plasma-lamp

typical of those available on the high street.

Mainstream misconceptions

While conventional astronomy maps magnetism, electric currents are

excluded on the mistaken basis that they are of no significance in

space.

Working from the inertia of this prior belief, astrophysicists have a

tendency to talk in euphemisms. 'Electron rains' and 'clouds of

ionized gas' are just two examples. From a conservative perspectivethese terms might seem easier to grasp than the behaviour of more

ethereal plasma, but they are, nonetheless, obfuscations. In reality we

are talking about electrodynamic phenomena.

Men occasionally

stumble over the truth,

but most of them pick

themselves up and

carry on as if nothing

ever happened."

Winston Churchill

It is important to understand that gravity based models were codified

before space travel and high powered telescopes. Back then our

galaxy, The Milky Way, was considered the entirety of the

universe ... and electrically sterile! Instead of trying to shoehorn what

we now see into old models, Plasma Cosmology respects the

progress of the past, but is not constrained by it. Scientific theories,

by definition, are vulnerable to being falsified. Science moves on.

"It is an

embarrassment that the

dominant forms of

matter in the universe

remain hypothetical!"

Jim Peebles

The role of Plasma in The Universe



Plasma cosmology has gone beyond hypothesis and analysis. There

are problems with part three, of course, experimentation on universal

scales, but the fact is that plasmas are highly scalable, and super-

computing capabilities have enabled us to model plasma behaviours

on galactic scales ... utilising only a few simple formulae.

These models are consistent with reality. Big Bang cosmology, by

contrast, fails to adequately account for the 'clumpiness' and

filamentary structures that we observe.

Plasma cosmology does NOT rely on abstract mathematical

modelling or an increasing array of exotic hypotheticals like Dark

Matter and Dark Energy!

Were Sherlock Holmes

a Cosmologist, he

might have said 'It's

Filamentary my Dear

Watson.'

Blogs and more

My latest blogs (in the guise of The Soupdragon) can be viewedhere.

www.thunderbolts.info is updated with fascinating plasma related

news on a daily basis.

You can now view the Thunderbolts video at Google Video. If this

link doesn't work, go to Google Video and try a search for

Thunderbolts.

A Brief History of Plasma I

Kristian Birkeland (1867-1917), Norway

Birkeland was amongst the first to speculate that the Northern Lights

were charged particles ejected from the Sun, captured by the Earth's

magnetic field, and directed towards the polar atmosphere. To prove

this theory, Birkeland performed his famous 'Terella' experiment,

where he artificially created the aurora in the laboratory. His theories

were initially laughed at, and it is only now in the space age that

measurements from satellites are proving Birkeland correct.

Significantly, his approach to science was broad, comprising

observation and laboratory experimentation in addition to

mathematical modelling. He was not content with a merely

theoretical approach, despite having trained as a mathematician.

He is probably Norway's greatest ever scientist, and many of his

works are still used as reference materials. The electric currents that

https://www.thunderbolts.info/thunderblogs/soupdragon.htm




https://www.thunderbolts.info/thunderblogs/soupdragon.htm





flow from space are named after him -- Birkeland currents. He is

recognised for bringing Plasma and Electromagnetism into

Cosmology, but while many of his ideas are widely accepted, his

cosmological theories are less well known. He died aged 49 just

when a working committee was in the process of nominating him for the Nobel Prize in Physics.

Sydney Chapman (1888-1970) was regarded as a leader in the field

of interplanetary magnetospheric physics for a while after the death

of Birkeland. He took an approach very similar to that of Big

Bangers, relying heavily on mathematical models, and refused to

even discuss many of Birkeland's ideas. According to his models,

currents were confined to a sphere that extended little beyond the

Earth. He failed to recognise the complex three dimensional

relationship between the Earth's magnetosphere and the currents

flowing from the Sun. He proposed, in contradistinction toBirkeland's ideas, that currents were restricted to the ionosphere, and

that the Earth moved through a vacuum. He was wrong.

"Gravitational systems

are the 'ashes' of prior

electrical systems."

Hannes Alfven

Irving Langmuir (1881-1957), USA

Langmuir (1881-1957) was the first to use the term 'Plasma' in 1927,

borrowing it from Blood Plasma to describe the almost life-like and

self-organising behaviours of a plasma when in the presence of

electrical currents and magnetic fields.

He discovered Plasma Sheathes, now called Double Layers, having

observed the electrons and ions of a plasma separating during

experimentation. DLs are one of the most important features of

plasma behaviour.

He also defined and explained the term 'valence' as part of his

description of the atom. Few textbooks, however, recognise the

influence that Langmuir had on the development of our

understanding of the nature of the atom.

He became the first 'non-academic' chemist to receive the NobelPrize, an accomplishment he realised in 1932. Langmuir probes,

which can be used in space, are named after him.

Hannes Alfven (1908-1995) - The Father of modern Plasma Physics,

Sweden

Alfven (1908-1995) is generally regarded as the Father of modern

Plasma Physics. He continued the work of Birkeland, feeling very

much in spirit with him, and eventually won a Nobel Laureate for his

ground-breaking contributions. He was not always highly regarded

by the scientific establishment because of his controversial ideas,however, and suffered no little condescension and ridicule in his

lifetime.

"I have never thought

that you could obtain

the extremely clumpy,

heterogeneous



In fact it now seems bizarre that he wasn't awarded the Nobel Prize

until 1970, especially considering his many fundamental

accomplishments. For some time he was forced to publish in journals

that did not enjoy international readership. His ideas finally became

known to the general scientific community through his ground- breaking book, Cosmical Electrodynamics, published by Oxford

University Press in 1950.

Alfven took a practical and intuitive approach to science, insisting

that theories of cosmological phenomena must agree with laboratory

experiments. (The definition of 'laboratory' being broadened to

include experiments in space.) Having started out as an engineer, his

methods were in direct opposition to the approach generally favoured

by Big Bangers, that of starting-out from idealised mathematical

principles.

In 1937 Alfven proposed that our galaxy contained a large-scale

magnetic field and that charged particles moved in spiral orbits

within it, owing to forces exerted by the field. Plasma carried the

electrical currents which create the magnetic field.

While many of Alfven's theories are now well known, like those of

Birkeland, the cosmological implications of his work also remain to

be fully recognised. Ironically, some have put this down to the very

simplicity of many of these ideas.

universe we have

today, strongly

affected by plasma

processes, from the

smooth, homogeneous

one of the Big Bang,dominated by

gravitation." Alfven

David Bohm (1917-1992), USA

Bohm was the plasma theoretician and cosmologist who discovered

the instabilities and resistivity of magnetized plasmas that now bear

his name.

"The universe is an

unending

transformation in flux

whose previous states

we are not privileged

to know." David Bohm

d Bohm

There are many others who probably should be mentioned, but this

web site aims only to serve as an introduction to the emerging

paradigm.

Today, a growing body of scientists, engineers, and independent

researchers are continuing the work of these pioneers. They have

taken up the gauntlet in defiance of some of the more entrenched

thinking that still permeates the mainstream. See the links page for

further details.

Summation

Both Hannes Alfven and Irving Langmuir won Nobel Laureates for

their work, and Kristian Birkeland probably would have done had he

lived long enough. It seems unfortunate, therefore, that their work incosmology, and the implications of their work in this field, remain

largely unrecognised. Alfven's criticism of the Big Bang, it has to be

“I have no trouble

publishing in Soviet

astrophysical journals, but my work is

unacceptable to the



said, certainly rankled with some of the powers that be. American

astrophysical

journals.” Hannes

Alfvén

A Brief History of Plasma II

Faraday and Maxwell "The phenomena of

electrical discharge are

exceedingly important,and when they are

better understood they

will probably throw

great light on the

nature of electricity as

well as on the nature of

gases and of the

medium pervading

space." James Clerk

Maxwell, Treatise on

Electricity andMagnetism.

While we now know that the terms electro- and -magnetic go

together, this was not always the case, and the relationship between

electricity and magnetism was not always clear. Michael Faraday,

1791-1867, was called a charlatan and a fraud when he announced

that he could generate an electric current by moving a magnet in a

coil of wire!

James Clerk Maxwell clarified our understanding of the relationship

between electricity and magnetism. Electric fields can't be divorced

from magnetic fields -- or vice versa -- but conventional astronomy

still attempts to do just this!

Why does mainstream cosmology attribute little or no importance to

electrodynamics?

There are a number of reasons for this mistaken attitude, and it

represents the the main point of demarcation between Plasma and

Big Bang cosmologies. Some time back there was a fork in the road,

and mainstream cosmology took the road marked gravity only which

lead to a strange place dominated by abstract math. Unfortunately it

is now proving almost impossible to turn this behemoth around!

"Facts do not cease to

exist because they are

ignored." Aldous

Huxley

History:

When geniuses like Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) and Isaac Newton

(1643-1727) formulated their theories very little was known about

electricity. (Oil and gas provided the lighting back then.) A treatise

had been written on magnetism, and some magnetism is incorporated

in astronomical models, but the basis of mainstream theories remain

the same -- they rely on gravity and inertia. They work on the

mistaken premise that space is electrically sterile.

The situation changed briefly in the late 1800s and early 1900s when

electromganetism was thought the most likely route to a better

understanding of space. Indeed, the scientific press was awash with

"Newton was unaware

of plasma. Today his

disciples spend years

in training learning

when and how to shut

their eyes to it." Mel

Acheson



such speculation at the time. However, something happened, and it

became taboo to discuss EM in space. Albert Einstein, for example,

did not so much as mention EM in his Relativity theories, and his

mathematical theories effectively removed the concept of the aether.

Magnetic Reconnection and Frozen-in Magnetic Fields

These erroneous concepts are probably the biggest source of

confusion in mainstream circles. Ironically, the concept of Frozen-in

Magnetic Fields was first proposed by Hannes Alfven, but he quickly

realised his mistake, and explained the error. Unfortunately, he was

surprised to find that the error persisted, and later in life he wished

he had spent more time correcting the misconception.

Magnetic Fields are never frozen into a plasma. This is just a

symptom of mainstream science refusing to acknowledge electric

currents (energy transfer) in space. They prefer to talk in terms of magnetic ropes et al, as the idea of electricity in space would open up

a can of worms for them. They simpy refuse to face this fact to any

meaningful extent. Furthermore, magnetic field lines do not

reconnect or merge after they break down and release energy.

Don Scott, a retired professor of electrical engineering, explains the

issues in more detail here

Psychology:

Belief is known to have a profound affect on perception. Witness the

fact that euphemisms are employed to conform to the inertia of prior

belief. The mainstream prefers to talk in terms of ion storms and

electron rains rather than acknowledging the existence of electrical

phenomena in space. See the technical section for explanations of

some common misconceptions. So many astronomical phenomena

scream 'Electricity', but sophistry is all too often employed to

interpret them within the existing paradigm.

Filamentary Birkeland currents in plasma, and double layers et al are

not even recognised in mainstream cosmology, let alone understood!

And they call it the queen of the sciences!

'Charge separation in space is not possible'

Well, this is the mainstream view. Because the attractive electrical

forces between electrons and ions are 39 orders of magnitude greater

than the gravitational attraction between their masses, it is assumed

that these particles quickly find each other and neutralise.

It is wrong, however, as we now observe charge separation in space.

It is therefore important to stress that we should be working

backwards from observation, and not extrapolating from some

idealised theoretical starting point. Theories of the plasma universedo not begin with neutral matter. They begin with the observation

"Never attribute tomalice that which can

be adequately

explained by stupidity,

but don't rule out

malice." Heinlein's

Razor

http://www.plasmacosmology.net/history2.html

http://www.plasmacosmology.net/history2.html



that charges are already separated.

Math

While GR is amenable to math -- if we allow for the fact that so

many space probes have suffered inexplicable crashes andanomalous accelerations -- the situation with electrodynamics is less

simple. How would we go about measuring the voltage of the earth,

for example, when voltage is a relative figure? Would we measure

the voltage in relation to The Sun or The Moon? And how could we

do this? Running a cable between any two planets presents technical

difficulties, whereas problems with GR calculations are simply

plugged with exotic hypotheticals!

Science versus Math

Unfortunately, the current cosmological scene is dominated by

mathematicians, not scientists, and electromagnetism is notoriouslydifficult to model mathematically, so they prefer to close their eyes

to it. See bad astronomy versus good science, below.

Electrodynamics versus Fluid Dynamics

Another common trick is to refer to electrodynamic phenomena in

terms really only appropriate to fluid dynamics. 'Electron Rains' and

'Ion Storms' are prime examples. These are clearly electrodynamic

phenomena, as are 'Magnetic Ropes'. Magnetic ropes are in fact

Birkeland currents. See technical for further info.

Bad Astronomy versus Good Science

Phil Plait, the self-proclaimed Bad Astronomer, is an unrepentant

critic of the Electric Universe. He recently launched another attack

on the EU model, by proxy, claiming that astronomy does not ignore

magnetic

fields. This is a straw man, as no such claim has been made

"Magnetism is a very important topic in astrophysics (despite some

pseudo-scientists lying and saying this

force is ignored), but it’s not well-understood. It’s fiendishly

complex, so much so that it’s a joke in stronomy." Phil Plait

The real issue is that the relationship between magnetic fields and

electric currents is being overlooked, and this is a critical omission

"In order to understand the phenomena in a certain plasma region, it

is necessary to map not only the magnetic but also the electric field

and the electric currents." Hannes Alfven, Nobel Laureate

In other words, magnetism cannot be viewed in isolation. At least

Plait admits their fear of magnetism in the process, which is the big

giveaway.

Mathematics and the kinetic theory of ordinary Gases



See below

Plasma Physics

The following quote from Australian physicist, Wal Thornhill, provides some further background on difficulties with working with

Plasmas which have contributed to mainstream ignorance on the

subject.

"Plasma physics started along two parallel lines. One of them was

the hundred-year-old investigation into what was called 'electric

discharges in gases'. To a high degree, this approach was

experimental and phenomenological, and only very slowly did it

reach some degree of theoretical sophistication. Most theoretical

physicists looked down on this field which was complicated and

awkward. The plasma exhibited striations, double layers, and anassortment of oscillations and instabilities. The electron temperature

was often found to be one or two orders of magnitude larger than the

gas temperature, with the ion temperature intermediate.

"In short, it was a field which was not well suited for mathematically

elegant theories. The other approach came from the highly developed

kinetic theory of ordinary gases. It was thought that, with a limited

amount of work, this field could be extended to include ionized

gases. The theories were mathematically elegant and claimed to

derive all of the properties of a plasma from first principles. In reality

this was not true. Because of the complexity of the problem, a

number of approximations were necessary which were not always

appropriate. The theories had very little contact with experimental

physics: all awkward and complicated phenomena observed in the

laboratory were simply neglected... Theories about plasmas, at the

time called ionized gases, were developed without any contact with

laboratory plasma work. In spite of this -- or perhaps because of this

-- belief in the theories was so strong that they were applied directly

to space. One of the results was the Chapman-Ferraro theory (for a

review see Akasofu and Chapman, 1972) which became accepted to

such an extent that Birkeland's approach was almost completelyforgotten. For thirty or forty years, Birkland's results were often

ignored in textbooks and surveys, and all attempts to revive and

develop them were neglected.

"The crushing victory of the theoretical approach over the

experimental approach lasted only until the theory was to make

experimentally verifiable predictions. From the theory, it was

concluded that in the laboratory, plasmas could easily be confined in

magnetic fields and heated to such temperatures as to make

thermonuclear release of energy possible. When attempts were made

to construct thermonuclear reactors, a confrontation between thetheories and reality was unavoidable -- the results were catastrophic.

Although the theories were generally accepted, the plasma itself



refused to believe them. This is not to say that Juergens' theory that

the sun is an anode is valid. His observation was that the sun appears

to violate the 2nd law of thermodynamics in that the heat transfer in

the wrong way. My friend Leroy, if I recall correctly, once attempted

to explain this by an analogy of a man with a cigarette lighter in hisextended arm. Neither suggestion is correct as the sun is not a

collection of ordinary gas. It a collection of matter in the plasma

form and as such the temperature of the electrons is orders of

magnitude higher than the rest of the body (A normal condition for a

plasma).

"The approach which Alfven suggested must ignore the elegant and

simplistic ordinary gases theory as the electromagnetic forces within

a plasma dominate."

Synchrotron Radiation

In 1950, Alfven, together with his colleagues Herlofson and

Keipenheuer, was the first to identify nonthermal radiation from

astronomical sources. It is produced by fast-moving electrons in the

presence of magnetic fields, and its importance cannot be

underestimated in astrophysics as most of the radiation recorded by

radio telescopes derives from this mechanism.

At the time this was a remarkable suggestion, given that plasma and

magnetic fields were thought to have little, if anything, to do in a

cosmos filled with 'island universes' (galaxies). It has provided

additional evidence for the existence of extensive magnetic fields,

and indicates that enormous amounts of energy may be converted,

stored, and released by cosmic plasma.

Prior to its discovery we were largely restricted to the visual

spectrum, which favours the three states of matter (solids, liquids,

and gases) that formed the basis of conventional astronomy.

"In the end The

Universe will have its

say." Sir Fred Hoyle

The Michelson-Morley experiment

Growing numbers of scientists are questioning the hero worship of

Einstein, not least because the Michelson-Morley experiment did

NOT give a null result. Mainstream science, however, claims that the

'null' result disproves the existence of an æther.

“... Lorentz, in order to justify his transformation equations, saw the

necessity of postulating a physical effect of interaction between

moving matter and æther, to give the mathematics meaning. Physics

still had de jure authority over mathematics: it was Einstein, who had

no qualms about abolishing the æther and still retaining light waves

whose properties were expressed by formulae that were meaninglesswithout it, who was the first to discard physics altogether and

propose a wholly mathematical theory...” Herbert Dingle, Science at

“What we call mass

would seem to be

nothing but an

appearance, and all

inertia to be of

electromagnetic

origin.” Henri

Poincaré, Science and

Method



the Cross-Roads.

Technical overview I

The following introduction to some technical terms should provide a

reasonable insight into Plasma Physics. An underlying simplicity

seems to beckon, even while many questions remain, and a picture

drastically different from the traditional view of the universe begins

to emerge.

The Solar Wind

The Earth's magnetic field acts much like a protective cocoon. Over

and around this field flows the solar wind, the dilute but persistent

stream of plasma (protons, electrons and other ions) emitted by The

Sun. This flow of plasma, with its associated electromagnetic fields,

distorts The Earth's own field, compressing it on the dayside and

stretching it on the night side. The resulting field is called the

magnetosphere.

Because the sun is seen to emit roughly equal quantities of ions andelectrons, the solar wind is considered electrically neutral in

mainstream circles. This is wrong. In reality it is a huge bipolar

electric current, and the terms solar wind and solar radiation result

from the fact that the mainstream refuses to acknowledge electricity

in space.

Moreover, plasmas react with the extensive magnetic field lines in

our solar system, and when conducting fluids flow through a

magnetic field a dynamo can be created, with the electrical energy

needed to drive the current taken from any relative motion. This is

consistent with the laws of physics: If a closed circuit exists, parts of which are moving through a magnetic field while other parts are not,

an electric current will arise. This is how dynamos work.

Magnetospheres

Magnetic forces are of little importance in our everyday lives and

require a sensitive instrument like a compass needle to be detected.

This is because most of the materials we encounter, from the ground

we walk on to the air we breathe, are electrically neutral.

At 60 miles or more above the surface of the Earth, however, the

situation is very different. The fringes of the atmosphere at these

heights are dominated by plasmas which react with the earths



magnetic field, steering and trapping the energised particles.

The intense activity in these regions is sometimes described as one of

the first surprises of the space age, and the sheer scale of the

magnetospheres of other planets has also taken many by surprise,consistent though they are with Plasma models.

Magnetotails

In contrast to the dayside of the magnetosphere, which is compressed

and confined by the solar wind, the night side is stretched into a long

tear-shaped 'magnetotail'. This part of the magnetosphere is quite

dynamic, where the ions and electrons are often energized (the

magnetotail is the main source of the polar aurora).

The plasma sheath of Venus is extremely long, almost touching theEarth when the two planets are at their closest approach. NASA

astronomers recently discovered 'stringy things' in the tail, as

predicted by Birkeland.

Birkeland currents

Magnetic disturbances are usually observed during displays in

auroral zones. These are localised and fade towards the equator,

suggesting that currents flow nearby. Currents, of course, require

closed circuits. Birkeland proposed that these currents flowed from

space at one end of an auroral arc and returned to space at the other,

flowing parallel to the ground when in proximity with The Earth.

Birkeland first made this proposal after returning from an expedition

to an auroral zone in 1903, and it was confirmed by the US Naval

satellite, Triad, in 1973. Its magnetometer detected two large sheets

of electric current, down on the morning side of the auroral zone, and

up on the evening side, as expected. Each sheet typically carries a

million amperes or more.

Further: Enormous Birkeland currents connecting Jupiter and itsmoon Io were recorded by the Voyager spacecraft in 1979.

In 1984 Farhad Yusef-Azdeh, Don Chance, and Mark Morris

discovered Birkeland currents on a galactic scale. Working with the

Very Large Array radio telescope, they found an arc of radio

emission some 120 light-years long near the centre of the Milky

Way! The structure is made up of narrow filaments typically 3 light-

years wide and running the full length of the arc. The strength of the

associated magnetic field is 100 times greater than previously

thought possible on such a large scale, but the field is nearly identical

in geometry and strength to computer simulations of galaxyformation.



Current modes

Electric currents in plasma take on three basic modes -- dark, glow or

arc -- depending on the voltage and charge density. In laboratory

gas-discharge tubes, voltage and charge density vary non-linearly

between the electrodes and produce segments that are alternatelydark and glowing. The high-charge-density arc mode is used in

industry for precision machining.

The plasma sheath of venus, mentioned above, is currently in dark

mode.

Z-pinches

The plasma universe consists of swirling streams of electrons and

ions flowing in filaments which tend to corkscrew or spiral. They

self pinch from the magnetic fields that they generate aroundthemselves.

There is a tendency for these filaments to repel at close range, and

attract at greater distances. However, when in close proximity they

may also spiral around one another. When this happens there is also

a tendency for the filaments to compress between them any material

(ionized or not) in the plasma. This is called the Z-pinch effect.

The bulk of the filaments are invisible from a distance, much like the

Birkeland currents that circle the Earth are invisible from its surface,

with the exception of auroral discharges.

Doubleness

The proclivity for multiple filaments to interact in pairs is a signature

of electromagnetic forces and sometimes referred to as 'Doubleness'.

This behaviour derives from Ampére's Law or the Biot-Savart force

law which states that currents in the same direction attract while

currents in the opposite direction repel. They do so inversely in

relation to the distance between them. This results in a far larger ranging force of interaction than the gravitational force between two

masses. Gravitational force is only attractive and varies inversely

with the square of the distance.

Electromagnetic force strength

While all matter is subject to gravity, plasma is more strongly

affected by EM forces as is to be expected given its constituent parts

-- negatively charged electrons and positively charged ions. In fact,

the EM force is 10^39 times as strong! Plasma displays structures

and motions that are far more complex than those found in neutralsolids, liquids, and gases. It has a tendency to form the cellular and



filamentary structures under discussion.

The following is quoted from from Dr A. Peratt's site

But perhaps the most important characteristic of electromagnetism is

that it obeys the longest-range force law in the universe.

When two or more non-plasma bodies interact gravitationally, their

force law varies inversely as the square of the distance between

them; 1/4 the pull if they are 2 arbitrary measurement units apart, 1/9

the pull for a distance of 3 units apart, 1/16 the pull for 4 units apart,

and so on.

When plasmas, say streams of charged particles, interact

electromagnetically, their force law varies inversely as the distance

between them, 1/2 the pull if they are 2 arbitrary measurement units

apart, 1/3 the pull for a distance of 3 units apart, 1/4 the pull for 4units apart, and so on. So at 4 arbitrary distance units apart, the

electromagnetic force is 4 times greater than that of gravitation,

relatively speaking, and at 100 units, apart, the electromagnetic force

is 100 times that of gravitation.

Moreover, the electromagnetic force can be repulsive if the streams

in interaction are flowing in opposite directions. Thus immense

plasma streams measured in megaparsecs, carrying galaxies and

stars, can appear to be falling towards nothing when they are actually

repelling.

Double Layers

Plasma sheathes were discovered by Langmuir in his laboratory, and

are now called double layers.

DLs refer to one of the most important properties of any electrical

plasma -- its ability to form electrically isolated sections or cells.

Because Plasma is an outstanding conductor and cannot sustain a

high electric field, it self-organizes to form a protective sheath

(Double Layer) across which most of the electric field isconcentrated and where most of the electrical energy is stored (They

can act very much like capacitors).

When a foreign object is inserted into a plasma, a DL will form

around it, shielding it from the main plasma. This effect makes it

difficult to insert voltage sensing probes into a plasma in order to

measure any electric potential at a specific location.

Double layers may break down with an explosive release of

electrical energy. Hannes Alfvén first suggested that billions of volts

could exist across a typical solar flare DL.

Astrophysicists who map magnetic fields and assume there's no

"In the beginning was

the Plasma." Hannes

Alfven

http://www.plasmacosmology.net/tech.html




electricity in space (or little of any consequence) seem, somewhat

inexplicably, to be unaware of their existence. They resort to positing

any number of mechanical devices from 'magnetic reconnection' to

'frozen-in magnetic field lines' and more.

'Frozen-in Magnetic Fields'

The myth of 'frozen-in magnetic fields' still raises its head in the

mainstream now and again, despite Alfven disposing of it many

years ago. For years it was assumed that plasmas were perfect

conductors and, as such, a magnetic field in any plasma would have

to be 'frozen' inside it.

The basic technical reason for this arose from one of Maxwell's

equations. It was thought that if all plasmas are ideal conductors they

cannot have electric fields (voltage differences, inside them), andthat any magnetic fields inside a plasma must therefore be 'frozen',

that is unable to move or change in any way.

Further: Thanks to Alfven we now know that there can be voltage

differences between different points in plasmas. He pointed this out

in his acceptance speech when receiving the Nobel Prize for physics

in 1970. The electrical conductivity of any material, including

plasma, is determined by two factors: the density of the population of

available charge carriers (the ions) in the material, and the mobility

of these carriers. In any plasma, the mobility of the ions is extremely

high. Electrons and ions can move around very freely in space. But

the concentration of ions available to carry charge may not be at all

high if the plasma is very low pressure or diffuse. In short, although

plasmas are excellent conductors, they are not perfect. It therefore

follows that weak electric fields can exist inside them, and magnetic

fields are NOT frozen inside them.

"Never attribute to

malice that which can

be adequately

explained by stupidity,

but don't rule out

malice." Heinlein's

Razor

'Magnetic reconnection'

Like the myth of 'Frozen in magnetic fields', Magnetic Reconnection

is another colourful invention of conventional astronomy. It alsoattempts to account for anomalies arising from the misconception

that electric currents do not flow in space.

In reality it is a well-understood plasma phenomena, relating to

exploding double-layers and electric discharge. Astronomers have

noticed that when magnetic reconnection occurs, there seem to be

regions of electron-depleted space associated with it (Electric

Currents). They have also noticed that a two-layer flow of particles is

created that speeds the release of energy (Double Layers).

Don Scott, a retired professor of electrical engineering, explains theissues in more detail here





'Magnetars'

Magnetars are mathematical-models of stars based on 'frozen-in'

magnetic fields and 'magnetic reconnection'. Need we say anymore?

The math may be correct, but this does not guarantee that they reflect

reality.

Plasma cosmologists know that magnetic fields do not stand alone --

they are induced by electric currents. There must be an intense

electric current feeding the magnetar, and this current must be part of

a circuit, as all electric circuits must be closed.

"Magnetic

Reconnection is

pseudo-science."

Hannes Alfven

Power generation

Because plasmas are good, but not perfect, conductors, they are

similar to wires in their ability to carry electrical current. It is well

known that if any conductor cuts through a magnetic field, a currentwill flow in that conductor. This is how electrical generators and

alternators work.

If there is any relative motion between a cosmic plasma, say in the

arm of a galaxy, and a magnetic field in that same location, currents

will flow in the plasma. These currents will, in turn, produce their

own magnetic fields.

In 1986, Hannes Alfven postulated electrical models on both galactic

and solar scales. Physicist Wal Thornhill has pointed out that

Alfven's circuits are really scaled up versions of the familiar

homopolar motor that serve as the watt-hour meters in many homes.

Also, more recently, the interaction of the Moon Io with the giant

planet Jupiter has been likened to a dynamo.

There is still some discussion as to whether galaxies require

electrical power from external sources, but who can now reasonably

deny that vast currents flow throughout space? For how much longer

can this simple fact be overlooked and denied?

Granted, electric currents in space may be more difficult to measurethan magnetic fields, but the 'truth is out there'.

"In order to understand

the phenomena in a

certain plasma region,it is necessary to map

not only the magnetic

but also the electric

field and the electric

currents." Hannes

Alfven

Scaling Plasmas

Plasma phenomena are scalable. Their electrical and physical

properties remain the same, independent of the size of the plasma. In

a laboratory plasma, of course, things happen much more quickly

than on, say, galaxy scales, but the phenomena are identical -- they

obey the same laws of physics.

In other words we can make accurate models of cosmic scale plasma behaviour in the lab, and generate effects that mimic those observed

in space. It has been demonstrated that plasma phenomena can be



scaled to fourteen orders of magnitude. (Alfven hypothesised that

they can be scaled to 28 orders or more!)

Electric currents flowing in plasmas produce most of the observed

astronomical phenomena that remain inexplicable if we assumegravity and magnetism to be the only forces at work.

Plasma simulations

A world renowned electrical engineer, Dr Anthony C. Perratt -- a

graduate student of Nobel Prize winner Hannes Alfven -- has worked

on plasma simulations for many years. See the links page for further

details of this leading light in Plasma Physics.

He has utilized super-computing capabilities to apply the Maxwell-

Lorentz equations (the basic laws governing the forces andinteractions of electric and magnetic fields) to huge ensembles of

charged particles. He calls this PIC - Particle In Cell simulation. The

results are almost indistinguishable from images of actual galaxies.

Peratt Instabilities

One of the latest and most important discoveries. These dynamic

effects are observed to occur in intense Birkeland currents, arc

discharges in plasma torches, z-pinched plasma filaments, and high

energy electrical discharges. The instability takes on the shape of a

column of axially symmetric toroids or spheroids that remain in a

semi-stable state until disruption. These instabilities can also take on

a sawtooth structure with a violent snaking motion.

Magnetohydrodynamics

The study of the dynamics of electrically-conducting fluids, one of

many fields pioneered by Alfven, and perhaps one of his better

known contributions within mainstream circles.

Technical overview II

Dr Charles Bruce FIEE, FIP, FRAS

Dr Charles Bruce was an expert in high voltage electrical

engineering and a Fellow of The Royal Astronomical Society. In the

1940s he made a remarkable proposal that is still ignored by

mainstream astronomy to this day. His proposal supports the



electrodynamic paradigm.

Bruce identified cosmic jets, solar flares, magnetic fields and high

temperatures in space as electrical discharge phenomena.

"And even if one regards the electric fields as merely another postulate, it has the great advantage that it is the one postulate which,

in my view, renders all the others unnecessary." C. E. R Bruce,

Electric Fields in Space, Penguin Science, 1968

Bruce also identified beautiful bipolar planetary nebulae as electrical

phenomena. (M2-9 is pictured in the header, above, to the left of the

lightning flash.)

The Electric Sky, Don Scott

Don Scott is a retired professor of Electrical Engineering, with a longterm interest in astronomy and cosmology.

His new book, The Electric Sky, contains sensible science that can

be understood by both amateurs and experts alike. Published late

2006, it is the first substantial public exposition of the latest

developments that further challenge the current 'gravity only' system

of thinking. Order here.

The Plasma Gun

The plasma gun, pictured below, is a simple plasma focus device,

consisting of two metal tubes, one inside the other. They have been

successful in concentrating plasma discharges during at least three

decades of research.

The energy stored in a large bank of capacitors is concentrated into a

tiny filamentary knot, shaped like a donut, and known as a plasmoid.

When plasmoid vortexes collapse, two intense plasma filaments are

fired along the axis.

Pictured above right is the view down the barrel of a plasma gun.

Above. Looking down

the barrel of a plasma

focus gun.

Above. 3D view of a

cosmic plasma gun,

the M1 Pulsar.

Below. Looking downthe barrel, so to speak,

of Nebula NGC 6751.

http://www.plasmacosmology.net/tech2.html





The same process can be seen at the core of spiral galaxies and in

powerful stellar outbursts. Pictured right is Nebula NGC 6751.

Plasma phenomena, of course, are scalable over many orders of

magnitude. The compact energetic activity at the core of galaxies is

thus explained in simple electrical terms. In Plasma Cosmology there

is no need for mathematical abstraction. Who needs Black Holes?

Devices based on the plasma gun are being developed to generate

neutron beams, x-rays, and nuclear fusion devices. The future of

space travel probably rests on these.

Plasma focus v Black Holes

The existence of Black Holes is no longer questioned in conventional

astronomy, despite the fact that they are based entirely on theoretical

assumptions.

However, astronomers using NASAs Hubble Space Telescope have

identified the source of a mysterious blue light surrounding a 'super-

massive black hole' in our neighboring Galaxy, Andromeda M31. It

originates from a disk of hot, young stars that whip around the 'black

hole' in much the same way that planets in our solar system revolve

around the Sun. Astronomers are perplexed about how this disk of

stars could form so close to a giant black hole. They should, of

course, be sucked into oblivion, but this isn't happening.

Similar stars close to the core of our Milky Way galaxy have also

been observed.

None of this perplexes astronomers who are familiar with plasma.

They can generate similar effects in a plasma lab with the plasma

focus device (above): It is the plasmoid that forms and stores energy

at the focus of the discharge. When the plasmoid reaches a critical

energy level, it discharges its energy in a collimated jet along its axis

in the form of electromagnetic radiation and neutrons. Being

unstable outside a nucleus, the neutrons soon decay into protons and

electrons. The electrons are held back by the electromagnetic field,

and the high-speed protons are beamed away.

On a galactic scale this is probably the mechanism that produces the

collimated jets streaming away from the cores of active galaxies. The

masses of ejected protons may make up the quasars that are

associated with these galaxies and could be the basis for their

intrinsic redshift.

Stephen Hawking has put forward a new thoery about black holes,

suggesting that they do not destroy everything that strays into their

path. The implications are profound for g. theory, and do not surprise

those who favour the plasma focus model.

The power source in a plasma gun is understood and can be shown to







actually work (using electric currents). An infinitely strong

gravitational field has never been shown to exist, plus there needs to

be a mechanism that converts the (gravitational) potential energy into

plasma effects, which are clearly the end product.

Intergalactic plasma circuits

A new technique has revealed faint structures amidst the galaxies of

the Virgo Cluster. Plasma cosmologists immediately recognise the

'cocoons, plumes, and streamers' as Birkeland currents and plasma

sheaths. This is direct confirmation of the intergalactic circuits

predicted by the plasma model.

The 'pinch effect' organises plasmas into filaments that act as 'power

cables'. These can attract and repel, and when close can spiral around

each other. At points of sufficiently strong interaction, the matter inthese cables will be stretched into arcs and/or bulges that can

generate the familiar forms of a spiral galaxy.

Cosmic Tornadoes

The discovery of Herbig Haro objects, or 'jetted stars', leaves

astronomers scratching their heads. The Astronomy Picture of the

Day, February 3, 2006, had this to say: “Though such energetic

outflows are well known to be associated with the formation of

young stars, the exact cause of the spiralling structures apparent in

this case is still mysterious.”

In reality, these structures highlight THE fundamental

misunderstanding of space! The only force known to prevent a

stream of gas from rapidly dispersing in the near vacuum of space is

magnetism, and only electric currents can generate magnetic fields.

The trouble is, early in the twentieth century, the astronomical

community decided that gravity rules the heavens, and having settled

on this secure and mathematically elegant vision of the cosmos, they

are reluctant to entertain ideas about more exotic forces playing anysignificant role.

Most of these objects are many light years in length, and display the

classic signatures of Plasma/EM behaviour -- 'beading', spiralling,

and 'kink' or 'sawtooth' instabilities.

As Alfvén pointed out, time after time, the underlying assumptions

of cosmologists today “are developed with the most sophisticated

mathematical methods and it is only the plasma itself which does not

‘understand’ how beautiful the theories are and absolutely refuses to

obey them.”

Plate Tectonics, Earthquakes, and more



This fascinating paper examines the limitations of a thermally driven

model of the earth, and outlines an alternative solid-plastic-planet

model, possibly expanding, and driven by electromagnetic forces.

The paper is technical but approachable.

Some of the implications of Plasma Cosmology

Shift happens!

It seems that a perspective shift may be required before the paradigm

can do likewise.

From a conventional perspective, planets and stars are seen as tiny dotsof matter punctuating the vast 'emptiness' of space. In this dubious

model gravity and inertia dominate, albeit with a little magnetism

stirred into the equations now and again.

Plasma Cosmology turns this perspective on its head.

In reality 'empty' space is actually a vast sea of Plasma, and dominated

by electromagnetic forces. The tiny dots of matter are formed by the Z-

pinch effect (see technical), and surrounded by protective sheathes or

Double Layers (again, see technical).

"In order to understand the phenomena in a certain plasma region, it is

necessary to map not only the magnetic but also the electric field and

the electric currents." Hannes Alfven

Space is filled with a network of currents which transfer energy and

momentum over vast distances. The currents have a tendency to pinch

into filaments which give rise to cellular structures. These are separated

by capacitor-like double layers, producing plasma phenomena which

are characterized by conditions of non-isotropy, discontinuity and

inhomogeneity.

Galaxies are thus expected to lie like pearl beads on a filamentary

necklace, as is observed.

EM versus Gravity

Contrast the plasma model, capable of being reproduced in

straightforward simulations, with the Nebular hypothesis -- the idea that

vast clouds of dust produced by the BB eventually accreted to form

planets and stars. The latter relies almost entirely on gravity, and that

most famous of Free Variables -- Time. It ignores the existence of plasma and its electrodynamic properties!






Gravitational forces are only attractive, whereas electromagnetic forces

are both attractive and repulsive, and 10^39 stronger! They both vary

inversely with the square of the distance.

EM forces are known to produce the spheroid, toroid, and spiralstructures that we witness throughout the universe. Gravity is NOT the

only force at work.

Misconception #1

"Sure, the electric force is much stronger than gravity at the sub-atomic

level, but at the macrocosmic level gravity is incomparably more

powerful than electricity.”

Martin Rees compares the electrostatic forces between two

submicroscopic charged particles with the force of gravitationalattraction between two Jupiter-sized masses and makes the statement

above. Talk about comparing apples and oranges! By this method we

could say: “Compare the power of the water coming over Niagara Falls

with the power emitted by the average incandescent flashlight bulb –

see – falling water is much more powerful than electricity.” Such

incompatible comparisons defy clarification.

Don Scott, retired professor of Electrical Engineering, adds the

following:

"This assertion is like saying gravity affects elephants more than

microbes. It is simply invalid. “For two protons, the electrostatic force

of repulsion between them is 1.2x10^36 times the force of their

gravitational attraction. The electrostatic repulsion between two

electrons is 4.2x10^42 times their gravitational attraction. For one

proton and one electron, the electrostatic force of attraction between

them is 2.2x10^39 times the force of their gravitational attraction.” The

Electric Sky (TES)

Matters of no little importance

Standard scientific texts focus on just three states of matter -- solids,liquids, and gases. This is no small omission. Not only should Plasma

be added to this list, but it should take first place, not least because of

the fact that it constitutes 99% of the known Universe! Space travel has

confirmed this fact. It is misleading to describe plasma as an ionized gas

when it is in fact a state in its own right.

Given the dominance of Plasma in the universe, it seems more sensible

to consider solids as cooled Plasma (Or matter with energy removed),

as opposed to highly energised or heated matter.

Moreover, because of the ability of Plasma to interact withelectromagnetic forces, it is capable of forming far more complex

“[T]he professionaltends to interpret the

pictures by using the

theory he was taught

while the amateur

tries to use the

picture to arrive at a

theory” Halton Arp,

Seeing Red



structures than those seen in solids, liquids, or gases.

Plasma is for everyone as Anthony Perratt, a leading contemporary

Astrophysicist, is wont to say.

Houston, we have a problem!

Within the limited confines of our own backyard, the Solar System,

existing gravitational models seem to be holding-up. We have

succeeded in sending probes to neighbouring planets and, despite the

crashes and anomalous accelerations that have afflicted many space

programs, the Huygens mission recently scored a spectacular success --

landing on Titan, a moon of Saturn, despite unexpected atmospheric

conditions.

It should be noted, however, that g models begin to break down whenwe look further a field. Gravity, of course, is generally described as a

property of mass. The trouble is that we have not discovered enough

mass in our own galaxy, The Milky Way, to account for its fortunate

tendency not to disintegrate.

The existence of mysterious Dark Matter is hypothesised to account for

this shortfall in mass, but it is yet to be discovered despite extensive

searches. Its existence is only inferred on the basis that g models 'must

be' correct. The alternatives raise too many uncomfortable questions!

Furthermore, Dark Matter is no small kludge factor -- it is alleged to

account for between 20% to 99% of the universe, depending on which

accounts you read! This has lead to further problems in relation to

expansion models, and another hypothetical, Dark Energy, has been

invented to overcome these. In summation, Dark Matter and Dark

Energy add up to the blank cheques that postpone the falsification

of bankrupt theories.

Moreover, it can be shown that electromagnetic forces are several

orders of magnitude greater than the gravitational forces, especially in

certain types of plasma, and also that electromagnetic forces can have alonger range. On the largest scales, evidence that plasmas exhibit

external forces on physical objects such as galaxies is the same as that

which has lead standard model researchers to postulate dark matter and

dark energy. Need anymore be said?

"It is an

embarrassment that

the dominant forms

of matter in the

universe remain

hypothetical." Jim

Peebles, Princeton

Cosmologist

"...past 90% it [Dark

Matter] begins to

make observations

irrelevant." Halton

Arp

The space tether experiment

In 1996, in a joint venture between the US and Italy, a large spherical

satellite was deployed from the US space shuttle at the end of a

conducting cable (tether) over 12 miles long. The idea was to let the

shuttle drag the tether across the Earth's magnetic field, producing one part of a dynamo circuit. The return current, from the shuttle to the

"In the beginning

was the Plasma."

Hannes Alfven



payload, would flow via the Earth's ionosphere.

The deployment was almost complete when things went wrong. The

tether suddenly broke free, and it took some smart detective work to

discover the cause. The nature of the break suggested it was not caused

by excessive tension, but that a strong electric current had melted thetether.

As Above ... So Below

It is often said that there is no reason to believe that the universe knows

about us, or that our solar system knows about the universe. In this

purely mechanistic view, contradictory evidence is generally explained

away as merely coincidental.

See this article from www.astronomy.com

Anomalies in CMB measurements seem to suggest that our solar systemreacts to conditions outside it, which was not expected, but this situation

is dismissed as ... coincidental.

Plasma Cosmology promotes a more holistic view of the universe. This

is a profound differentiation, and permits many theories previously

excluded in a purely mechanistic gravity-dominated universe. Bodies

immersed in plasma are not isolated -- they are connected by circuits.

"When Kepler found

his long-cherished

belief did not agree

with the most

precise observation,

he accepted the

uncomfortable fact.He preferred the

hard truth to his

dearest illusions; that

is the heart of

science." Carl Sagan

The Dynamic Universe

The Plasma Universe is an extremely dynamic, quasi Steady-State

Universe. It may seem strange to consider Galaxies lasting billions of

years as mere transient phenomena, but this is how it is. Planets, Stars

and Galaxies are born and die. The universe is cyclical!

In the plasma model, super clusters, clusters and galaxies are formed

from magnetically confined plasma vortex filaments. The plasma

cosmology approach can easily accommodate large scale structures, and

in fact predicts them. Since the plasma approach hypothesises no

theoretical starting point, the amount of time necessary for large-scale

structures presents no problem for the theory.

"The universe is an

unending

transformation in

flux whose previous

states we are not

privileged to know."

David Bohm

The Queen of The Sciences

Because Cosmology is considered the Queen of the Sciences, it

provides the building blocks for so many other scientific disciplines,

and this seems to add to the inertia against change. A new approach to

cosmology will require a reassessment in most if not all scientific

disciplines!

http://www.plasmacosmology.net/imp.html

http://www.plasmacosmology.net/imp.html



Frequently Asked

Questions, and a few

objections...

This might seem like a

stupid question, but

how come we don't all

get electrocuted if space

is so full of electricity?

"Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick

themselves up and carry on as if nothing ever happened." Winston

Churchill

This is actually a

common question, and

the answer is

straightforward.

Imagine a bird sitting

on a high powered

cable. That cable might

carry many thousands

of volts, but the bird is

safe providing that it

doesn't touch another

cable, or any other

object with an electrical

differential. The air

around the bird acts asan insulator.

Standing on the earth

we are much like the

bird sitting on the cable,

and the magnetosphere

acts as a protective

cocoon, shielding us

from most of the

energised particles

flying through space.

The occasional crackle

and hum of electric

cables reminds us of

their purpose. Likewise,

thunderstorms remind

us that our planet seeks

electrical equilibrium

with its solar

environment.

Why is space

considered electrically



neutral in mainstream

science?

See History II

Why don't we see moreaurora like phenomena

if space is so

electrically active?

The auroras occur at the

poles where charge is

concentrated by the

Earth's magnetosphere.

In space plasmas are

more tenuous, and the

electric currents thatflow through them are

invisible to the naked

eye, much like most

power cables here on

Earth, which are very

often hidden from sight.

Also, power plants may

be many miles from the

cities they supply.

There is strong

evidence, however, that

the heavens were far

more electrically active

in recent millennia. See

Ancient Testimony.

If only half of what you

say is true, how could

mainstream science be

so blind?

A few words from

Alfven seem

appropriate here. In

1986 he said:

"We should remember

that there was once a

discipline called

Natural Philosophy.

Unfortunately, this

discipline seems not toexist today. It has been

renamed science, but

"Gravitational systems are the 'ashes' of prior electrical systems."

Hannes Alfven



science of today is in

danger of losing much

of the natural

philosophy aspect."

Alfven believed that

territorial dominance,

greed, and fear of the

unknown were factors

in this transition.

"Scientists tend to resist

interdisciplinary

inquiries into their own

territory. In many

instances, such parochialism is founded

on the fear that

intrusion from other

disciplines would

compete unfairly for

limited financial

resources and thus

diminish their own

opportunity for

research."

There is so much we

don't understand about

plasma and electricity!

How can we hope to

build cosmological

models with it?

Sure, we may have a lot

to learn about

something likeelectricity, although it

is taken very much for

granted, but we can

measure and observe

the properties and

behaviours of both

plasma and electricity,

which enables us to

make predictions. This

approach stems from a

branch of philosophyknown as empiricism,

which is the basis of



science.

Isn't this just fringe

science?

“We have to learn again that science without contact with

experiments is an enterprise which is likely to go completely astray

into imaginary conjecture.” Hannes Alfvén

Emphatically NO! Anumber of respected

scientists and electrical

engineers support most

of the ideas expressed

here. This web site is

simply a synthesis of

the basic principles. It

should also be borne in

mind that two of the

founding fathers,

Alfven and Langmuir,won Nobel Laureates,

and Birkeland probably

would have done had

he lived long enough.

See History.

While many questions

remain, Plasma

Cosmology is gaining

ground, whereas Big

Bang cosmology relies

on an increasing array

of ad-hoc assumptions

and hypotheticals. The

BBT is increasingly

under attack, even if

does still dominate

academic circles at the

present time.

Can Plasma Cosmologylive with the Big Bang? "The universe is an unending transformation in flux whose previousstates we are not privileged to know." David Bohm

Surprisingly, yes. The

Big Bang does not

necessarily preclude the

importance of Plasma

and its electrodynamic

properties. Even within

conventional Big Bang

cosmology, the entire

early universe consistedof plasma before

recombination (the



process in which

electrons become

confined to protons to

make neutral atoms)

occurred. However, it

should be noted thatmost scientists and

engineers in the Plasma

field prefer an

actualistic approach to

science -- the method of

working backwards

from observation, rather

than starting out at

idealised theoretical

principals.

The Big Bang fails to

account for the

'clumpiness' of the

universe and the

filamentary structures

that we see. These are

consistent with Plasma

models.

Who needs Plasma

Cosmology?

Gravitational models

work just fine!

"It is an embarrassment that the dominant forms of matter in the

universe remain hypothetical." Jim Peebles, Princeton Cosmologist

Problems with g models

require the invention of

a number of

hypotheticals. Dark

Matter and Dark

Energy remain highly

speculative despiteextensive searches over

more than twenty years!

Where is the Math?

Do not worry. If

mathematics turns you

on, there is plenty of it

in some of the more

technical pages that we

link to.

See the philosophy

"Physics is mathematical not because we know so much about the

physical world, but because we know so little." Bertrand Russell

http://www.plasmacosmology.net/links.html

http://www.plasmacosmology.net/philosophy.html

http://www.plasmacosmology.net/links.html

http://www.plasmacosmology.net/philosophy.html



page for some

discussion about the

relative importance of

math in differing

cosmologies.

You seem to insinuate

that there is a

conspiracy against

Plasma Cosmology!

Not really. As has been

stated, academic circles

are currently dominated

by Big Bang

proponents, and theytend to promote their

own theories, but

science will move on.

Isn't Plasma Cosmology

just a re-hash of old

Velikovskian ideas?

No. PC does not rest on

any ideas about

catastrophism, but it

does not preclude them,

and many plasma

physicists acknowledge

that our solar system

may have been more

electrically active in

recent millennia.

Electric Universe

supporters are generally

more sympathetic toideas relating to

Catastrophism.

"In the end The Universe will have its say." Sir Fred Hoyle

When can we expect to

see PC gaining wider

acceptance?

Progress is being made,

slowly but surely, but

plasma physicists grow

increasingly impatient.See the Way Forward

http://www.plasmacosmology.net/forward.html




Could gravity have an

EM origin?

Electric Universe

supporters view gravity

as an electrostaticdipolar force. It should

be noted that we don't

actually know what

gravity is -- it remains a

descriptive term for a

force that we know

very little about; a force

which is described

mathematically. It may

also be described as a

property of mass, of course.

Research is being

carried out into the

potential existence of

gravity waves and

graviton particles, but it

has so far achieved

little if any success.

Also, see the

speculations page.

"But hitherto I have not been able to discover the cause of those

properties of gravity from phenomena, and I frame no hypotheses."

Isaac Newton

Why is there relatively

little research into

Plasma Cosmology?

A lack of funding

doesn't help. Again, see

the Way Forward

I thought that the TheElectric Star Model had

been debunked?

Electric Star models

suffer fewer

vulnerabilities than

highy speculative

mainstream models

which rest on a number

of unverified

assumptions, notably inrelation to neutrino

flavours, iron content,






and 'magnetic

reconnection', amongst

many others.

If the sun is electrically

powered, as proposed by EU supporters, why

do we not see electrons

flying towards it?

This is a good question

in so far as it pretty

well sums up the

mainstream gripe with

the the electric star

model.

It is important to bear in

mind, however, that we

should base our models

on what we see, and not

on what we might

expect to see. Plasmas

exhibit many

behaviours not

expected or recognised,

let alone understood, in

mainstream

astronomy/astrophysics.

Check out double layers

and birkeland currents

in the technical section.

These provide some

clues as to what may be

going on.

Electrical engineers, it

seems, are better qualified to recognise

and understand so many

astronomical

phenomena.

Significantly, Wal

Thornhill and Don

Scott point out that it

would be difficult to

detect low energy

electrons as they stream

towards The Sun.

“The peer review system is satisfactory during quiescent times, but

not during a revolution in a discipline such as astrophysics, when the

establishment seeks to preserve the status quo.” Hannes Alfvén

Does your model supprt



astrological ideas?

Please forgive me, as

I'm no expert on

astrology. I will

concede, nonetheless,that plasma cosmology

permits a more holistic

view of the universe,

although I have no idea

how this could support

conventional astrology.

Are UFOs

electromagnetically

driven?

I have no idea! For a

scientific perspective

try www.ufoskeptic.org

You are not the first to

try and come up with a

unified theory of

everything, and get it

totally wrong!

This is not a unified

theory of everything.

Plasma Cosmology

simply represents a

fresh approach to many

cosmological problems,

and this web site is a

synthesis of many of

the ideas.

You seem to suggestthat the mainstream

ignores plasma

physics?

Far from it. The point is

that the mainstream

thus far assigns little

importance to the role

of plasma and

electromagnetism on

cosmic scales. It is onething to contemplate

that space isn't the

"...no knowledge is complete or perfect." Carl Sagan

http://www.plasmacosmology.net/faqs.html

http://www.plasmacosmology.net/faqs.html



vacuum once predicted,

but quite another to

acknowledge that

Plasma and its EM

interactions may play a

role in cosmicalstructures, from planets

and stars to galaxies

and super-clusters. The

passive role of plasma

assumed by the

mainstream is wrong!

Plasma Cosmology

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