Re: Ions

[Ludwik Kowalski <KowalskiL@MAIL.MONTCLAIR.EDU>]

Among many interesting things William Beaty wrote:

> .... How would highly-charged transformer oil behave, even
> if it did have a layer of opposite air-ions on its surface which cancel
> out the external fields?

The first theory of nuclear fission, as you probably know, was based
on the liquid drop model. Too high Z and the fission barrier becomes
sufficiently low to cause spontaneous fission. Cohesive forces keeping
molecules of oil together are not as strong as attractive nuclear forces
but the basic theory must be applicable. In a vacuum (no opposite ions
on the surface) you would first have rapid evaporation of molecules
from the surface (more or less like alpha emission). Then, as Q
becomes larger and larger, the "half-life" would become shorter and
shorter, as in the Geiger Nuttal (spell ?) law. And finally, at some Q,
the whole thing would burst into small fragments. Perhaps only two
fragments as in common fission.

The question I have is how to distinguish a "pseudo neutral" sphere
of electrified plastic (negative cloud inside and a layer of equal positive
charge outside) from the really neutral one (where each dV is neutral)?
Perhaps "macroscopically neutral" and "microscopically neutral" terms
would be more appropriate.

Ludwik Kowalski