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Plasma globe

Not to be confused with Plasma lamp.
A plasma ball with filaments extending between the inner and outer spheres

A plasma ball, plasma globe, or plasma lamp is a clear glass container filled with noble gases, usually a mixture of neon, krypton, and xenon, that has a high-voltage electrode in the center of the container. When voltage is applied, a plasma is formed within the container. Plasma filaments extend from the inner electrode to the outer glass insulator, giving the appearance of multiple constant beams of colored light (see corona discharge and electric glow discharge). Plasma balls were popular as novelty items in the 1980s.[1]

The plasma lamp was invented by Nikola Tesla, during his experimentation with high-frequency currents in an evacuated glass tube for the purpose of studying high voltage phenomena.[2] Tesla called his invention an "inert gas discharge tube".[3] The modern plasma lamp design was developed by James Falk and MIT student Bill Parker.[1][4]

A crackle tube is a related device filled with phosphor-coated beads.

  1. ^ a b Gache, Gabriel (January 31, 2008). "How do plasma lamps work?". Softpedia. Archived from the original on February 10, 2009. Retrieved November 16, 2009.
  2. ^ Tesla, Nikola (1892). "Experiments with Alternate Currents of High Potential and High Frequency". PBS. Archived from the original on March 2, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2010.
  3. ^ Barros, Sam (2002). "PowerLabs Plasma Globes Page". Archived from the original on December 3, 2009. Retrieved November 16, 2009.
  4. ^ Ken Shulman (October 24, 2023). "MIT News: Alumni profile - Making the invisible visible - Bill Parker '74, SM '93".