A Russian investigator put forth a novel hypothesis on the nature of a mysterious atmospheric event. Academician Askhab Askhabov suggested that ball lightning possesses an ordered crystalline structure.
The specialist from the Institute of Geology of the Komi Scientific Center, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, believes this phenomenon constitutes a “plasma crystal.” According to his interpretation, microscopic charged water complexes—”quatarons”—form in moisture-laden air during a thunderstorm. Identical charges compel them to repel and align into a stable spherical lattice, creating a luminous sphere.
This model elucidates the phenomenon’s unique characteristics. The crystalline structure maintains the object’s shape but permits it to distort and seep through barriers. The energy for incandescence is initially stored within the particles, and the color might depend on chemical admixtures in the lattice, reports “Komiinform.”
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