Much has been written and some of it published, mainly by C E R Bruce¹ and myself², about Bruce's theory of catastrophic atmospheric electrical discharges in astronomy. As yet, this view has been ignored by most professional astronomers, probably because they consider there is no acceptable explanation for an electrical charging process on the immense scale required.

A solution to one major aspect of this problem seems to me obvious, so I welcome criticism or discussion. The mechanism is simple if the Big Bang origin of the Universe is accepted. As soon as electrons are formed as separate entities near the start of the expansion they would be repelled by the intense radiation pressure and ejected into the surrounding 'vacuum of space at a very much greater velocity than the expanding more massive material in the Big Bang nucleus. The electrons carry a negative electrical charge far into space and leave an equal positive charge on the heavier particles in the Big Bang nucleus. This positive charge steadily increases as long as the force of radiation pressure on the electrons exceeds the sum of the electrical and gravitational forces directed towards the nucleus, when the electrons will continue to travel away from the nucleus. These three forces all vary as the inverse square of the distance from the centre of the nucleus, so the electrons will continue to be repelled but with diminishing acceleration. The increasing positive charge on the nucleus will also reduce the outward acceleration of the electrons, but for electrons at the furthest distance the total charge in the Universe will be zero and they will continue on their outward journey.

The voltage gradient at the boundary of the positive charges steadily increases, eventually reaching a critical breakdown value, causing a sudden discharge at one or more locations on the periphery. The expansion of the boundary limits the speed of growth of the voltage gradient, so that when breakdown occurs a vast amount of electrical energy has been stored. The discharges are in the form of huge jets of positively charged matter which are, in effect, atmospheric electrical currents which have a magnetic field tending to constrict it to a channel. In the case of such immense jets, gravitational force causing material to be pulled into the axis of the channel would also be significant in producing compression and maintaining the 'filamentary' shape.

The positive jet attracts free electrons in the atmosphere, causing them to attain relativistic velocities. The extremely high temperatures and pressures due to their combination with the positive charges produce heavy elements by nuclear fusion. This answers some of the problems about the claim that heavy elements are only formed in supernovae. The momentum of the material in the jets causes them to continue to expand outwards even when the charge is neutralised. As the material cools and condenses, strings of galaxies are formed, as observed. C. E. R. Bruce, who was an acknowledged authority on electrical discharges in the terrestrial atmosphere, also claimed that there are immense electrical charging and discharging processes in the atmospheres of galaxies and stars.

I realise that this is a very brief and incomplete account which needs to be supported (or refuted) by mathematical investigations. However, one must start somewhere and it is hoped that this account will convince some astronomers that it is a subject well worth a closer look.

1. C.E.R.Bruce, The Observatory, 95, 204, 1975.
2. E.W.Crew, Nature, 252, 539, 1974.

Letters concerning this paper.

Click here to contact Eric Crew (Eric@brox1.demon.co.uk)

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