VII. INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON BALL
LIGHTNING (ISBL'01)
July 26-30, 2001
University of Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT AND CALL FOR PAPERS
NEW!!
SECOND
ANNOUNCEMENT
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in MS Word click here
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in PDF format click here
THE SYMPOSIUM
This symposium,
dedicated to the scientific investigation of the phenomenon of ball lightning,
is the seventh in a series initiated by Y.-H. Ohtsuki in 1988 in Tokyo
(Japan), continued in 1990 in Budapest (Hungary), 1993 in Los Angeles (CA),
1995 in Canterbury (UK), 1997 in Tsugawa (Japan) and 1999 in Antwerp,
Belgium.
Ball Lightning
(BL) is the most fascinating and enigmatic atmospheric electricity phenomenon.
Although known and described since the antiquity, it is certainly the least
understood, and perhaps the most misunderstood, of all atmospheric phenomena.
It has thoroughly frustrated the efforts of scientists to study it and
to understand its nature. Although about 5% of people have seen ball
lightning, few atmospheric electricity scientists have seen it. Although
most of them spent countless hours observing lightning flashes, photographing
them, measuring their currents and fields, less than 5% of them ever saw
BL, and then usually not while doing streak lightning studies in the vicinity
of a high point. Indeed, to be more effective, lightning studies
are done usually in the vicinity of a high point.
Today we begin
to understand why the specialists were unable to see BL in spite of its
usual association with streak lightning. We also begin to understand
and explain all the other properties of BL. With theoretical work
based on the many observations of BL, on quantum mechanics, electrodynamics
and plasma physics, we see the light at the end of the tunnel.
The present Symposium
attempts to pursue this unique opportunity offered by modern physics, to
approach the end of this tunnel of obscurantism. ISBL 2001 is an
attempt to bring together all parties interested in the scientific investigation
and future practical applications of the BL phenomenon. This will
include participants, contributors and invited speakers from universities,
industry, private and governmental laboratories, private and governmental
funding agencies, as well as individual observers and analysts. ISBL
2001 will be held at an uncompromising high scientific level. It
continues the tradition of the previous symposia with an effort to further
increase the scientific level of the invited and contributed papers, without
discouraging any sound observational, experimental or theoretical papers,
or the attendance of scientifically interested participants.
The Symposium
will be held on the University of Missouri-St.
Louis Campus with registration on July 25 from 3-9pm. Housing
and meals will be available on Campus at economical rates.
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BL observations
Analysis of BL observations
Laboratory and free air experiments
connected to BL
Scientific models and theories of
BL
Abstracts
of approximately 200 words are solicited. The abstract should contain
sufficient information on the proposed presentation to allow an evaluation
and selection by a reviewer. Each presentation should require no
more than 20 minutes, but additional time can be provided in special cases.
Please submit
an abstract to:
Dr. Peter H. Handel
Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
University of Missouri
St. Louis, MO 63121;
Tel.: 314-516-5021
Fax: 314-516-6152
E-mail: handel@umsl.edu
Please include your e-mail address,
if available.
The deadline for
the Submission of abstracts is March 5, 2001. The abstracts will
be reviewed to assure a reasonable standard of relevance, scientific soundness
and technical execution. Notification of abstract acceptance will
be sent out around March 15, 2001. Accepted abstracts will be available
at the Symposium. Post-deadline abstracts may be accepted in certain
special cases. The early deadlines allow for convenient booking of
reasonably priced airline tickets.
Participants
with accepted papers are asked to bring their camera-ready manuscripts
to the Symposium for inclusion in the planned Proceedings. This inclusion
will be based on a final review.
Registration
for the Symposium should be done most conveniently by April 15, 2001.
Details about registration fee, proceedings and local accommodations will
be forthcoming in the following announcements. Please check also
our upcoming web page, which is currently under construction. The
address will be announced in the next mailings.
| Dr. Stanley Singer
Internatl. Committee on Ball Lightning 381 South Meredith Ave. Pasadena, CA 91106 |
Prof. Peter H. Handel (Conf. Chair)
Dept. of Physics and Astronomy University of Missouri-St. Louis St. Louis, MO 63121 |
| Dr. Geert C. Dijkhuis
ZSC and Convectron N.V. Kortenaerlaan 7 Terneuzen, The Netherlands |
Alma L. Chung (Associate Conf. Chair)
Dept. of Physics and Astronomy University of Missouri- St. Louis St. Louis, MO 63121 |
| Prof. Y.-H. Ohtsuki
Department of Physics Waseda University |