Quote:
Originally Posted by sjastro
The spectrum completely and utterly refutes a plasma discharge mechanism.
Apart from the obvious hydroxyl and carbonyl peaks corresponding to water and CO2 respectively, the spectrum is an absorption spectrum.
A plasma discharge will produce a continuous emission spectrum across the IR range.
Regards
Steven
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Yes. After I wrote my last response to Alex, I was thinking I didn't express where I was coming from very clearly.
I've been trying to chase a few things up since I wrote it ..
I'm not sure whether there'd be any
effect on an
absorption spectrum being taken of the escaping gases, (taken simultaneously), as this hypothesised, sustained 'dark mode' build up was occurring. (Ie: if it even was occurring at all).
If both were happening, presumably, the gases would be getting hotter and the ionisation levels would be greater, so I'd guess we might see more ionised compounds in the absorption bands (?)
As far as
emission spectra are concerned, presumably this could only be visible if the energy levels were great enough to either move any ionised gases into the 'glow' or 'arc' regions (beyond 'dark' mode).
But the thing that also doesn't add up in Alex's hypothesis, is that there would have to be either of these active, visible discharge mechanisms happening, in order to generate the forces necessary to create the visible, collimated structure of jets.
And what the scientists have determined (from the absorption spectra) is a
definitive conclusion that they are just plain CO2 gas jets !
Interesting.
Cheers