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This science centre standard exhibit demonstrates discharges in gas using a high voltage power source. The slight variations in the magnetic field or the earth potential around the ball caused by the presence of, say, a visitor´s hand, lead the discharges to change their course: They are attracted to a hand placed on the ball, a quite sensuous experience.
Our version is big, with a diameter of around 70 centimeters. There is also a specially developed two-stage power supply to increase the exhibit´s life span in the museum environment where it needs to run continually. In the normal state the exhibit runs at reduced power where the plasma discharge is nevertheless visible.
Users can push the "Turbo" button to run the ball at maximum
power for a few minutes. This interaction enhances the impressiveness
of the exhibit considerably and allows the full effect to be seen without
exhausting the plasma. The exhibit was built in 1999 for the Technical
Museum, Vienna.
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