Setup for the saturn effects of Kristian Birkeland's experiments

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the reproduction of Kristian Birkeland's experiments related to the "Saturn effect" using his terrella apparatus. Participants explore the conditions under which these experiments might be replicated and the implications of the findings, particularly in relation to planetary magnetic fields and phenomena similar to Earth's auroras and Saturn's rings.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about recent reproductions of Birkeland's experiments concerning the Saturn effect and seeks details on the experimental conditions.
  • Another participant expresses frustration over the lack of sources for the "Saturn effect," questioning its existence and urging for clarification on the topic.
  • A participant mentions that Birkeland's report describes using a solid sphere with a solenoid to emulate a planet's magnetic field, leading to effects that simulate Earth's auroras and Saturn's rings, but notes that these effects have not been reproduced by others.
  • Concerns are raised about the speculative nature of the discussion, with one participant challenging the validity of the "Saturn effect" and requesting sources to support the claims made.
  • A moderator emphasizes the importance of adhering to forum rules regarding speculative posts and encourages participants to provide evidence for their claims.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not appear to reach a consensus on the existence or validity of the "Saturn effect," with some questioning its legitimacy and others expressing interest in discussing Birkeland's experiments further. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the reproduction of the experiments and the acceptance of the concept itself.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in the discussion, including a lack of clear definitions for the "Saturn effect" and the absence of references to Birkeland's original report, which some participants seek. The discussion also reflects varying levels of familiarity with the subject matter among participants.

motorman
Messages
26
Reaction score
0
Hi,

Has anyone in recent times reproduced the experiments of Kristian Birkeland, WRT to his Saturn effect using his terrella?

If so what were the conditions?

Adam
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Googling for this "Saturn effect" reveals only this thread. Do you have a source for this?
 
russ_watters said:
Googling for this "Saturn effect" reveals only this thread. Do you have a source for this?


You're lucky then... How did you avoid getting 93 bazillion results from the astrology/nutcase sites?

But googling for "saturn effect terrella" brought up some useful stuff starting with http://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/mwg-internal/de5fs23hu73ds/progress?id=lvDA410z4w
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Actually, I searched "Kristian Birkeland saturn effect" (without the quotes). The first entry was this thread. The second was the wiki article on Birkeland and "saturn effect" does not appear anywhere in it. Adding quotes around "saturn effect" returns a bunch of links to this thread via phys.org.
 
i had submitted these question(other threads) to this forum hoping to get some sort of educated discussion and sanity some ideas. if you're happy with accepted ideas of science and tech, and afraid of sailing too close to the edge of the world, i politely ask you not add to this thread.
 
now, as for the subject of this thread, reading birkeland's report suggests that fitting a solid sphere with a solenoid to emulate a planet's mag field, then he applies a voltage difference across the sphere. he starts to see strange effects that simulate the Earth aurora and under different conditions, simulates saturns rings.

this kind of stuff is more familiar in the mhd comunity, but no-one has reproduced the effects.

i take it this effect is not well known, but if anyone has knowledge of a working setup I am interested in hearing about it.
 
motorman said:
i had submitted these question(other threads) to this forum hoping to get some sort of educated discussion and sanity some ideas.
That's nice. So does "the saturn effect" exist anywhere but in your head? Did you make it up? All I'm asking is for you to explain and source the topic of discussion so people know what the subject is about! You won't get any useful responses if people don't know what you are talking about!
if you're happy with accepted ideas of science and tech, and afraid of sailing too close to the edge of the world, i politely ask you not add to this thread.
I'm a moderator here. It is my job to ensure discussions follow forum rules.
reading birkeland's report
Do you have a link to a copy of this report?
 
Motorman, with all due respect, it is not your place to say who can and cannot participate here.

Also, I would encourage you to read the PF Rules on Overly Specualtive Posts. Soon.
 

Similar threads

Undergrad Why are Saturn's moons so bright?
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Undergrad Magnets, Outer space, and Rings
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
1K
High School Where Can I Find Accurate Planetary Event Data for an Astronomy Course?
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
How Fast Could a Saturn 5 Rocket Travel in Outer Space with FTL Mechanics?
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K
Graduate Solar wobble - what are the effects of Jupiter and Saturn?
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
4K
Graduate What keeps Rhea stable? Simulation shows Titan-assist escape
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K
Undergrad What Experiments Demonstrate Time Dilation?
  • · Replies 46 ·
2
Replies
46
Views
5K
Graduate Are Saturn's Rings Caused by Fractal Structures?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
High School Are real theories undiscoverable from effective field theories?
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
Undergrad A problem with science media coverage
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K