Experimental Study of a Long-Living Plasmoid Using High-Speed Filming

This paper describes the time evolution of ball plasmoids generated by millisecond atmospheric discharge in contact with water. The aim of this paper was to clarify an initiation and a formation mechanism of an atmospheric ball plasmoid. The use of a higher frame rate of filming and shorter exposition time, in comparison with past experiments, allows us to observe the fast processes that occur during a plasmoid evolution. We assert that an initial electrical breakdown in a cathode ceramic tube filled by a conductive liquid is essential for further plasmoid formation. It generates a shock wave resulting in a blast of conductive liquid. The resulting expansion of water vapor and bubbles with an addition of weekly ionized plasma serves as a main source of matter for plasmoid formation. We also note that an electrical arc generated after the breakdown transforms to a plasma jet. This jet accelerates plasma to the plasmoid.