Kirlian photography

The corona discharge or Kirlian photography (also High frequency high voltage photography) is a photographic method for the visualization of glow or corona discharges. The procedure was developed by the Soviet Semyon Kirlian and Valentina couple Kirliana from 1937.

Be applied Technically, the underlying effects in corona cameras, which can make corona discharges optically visible for example in high- voltage power lines. Further applications of Kirlian photography is art and advertising.

History and Development

The Soviet Semyon Davidovich Kirlian electrical engineer, discovered in 1937, this type of photography by accident when he was repairing a medical device, and let the process in 1949 patented several times. Later he studied further with his wife Valentina Kirliana and the doctor Ruben Stepanov on the Kirlian photography.

Operation

As a result of electric field strength occurs in gases, as well as the air, to ionization, and therefore a gas discharge. The electric field strength must not be too high to allow the so-called corona discharge or glow discharge. These are among the weakest electrical discharges and, like almost all gas discharges, associated with phenomena of light of different intensity, which can be imaged by photographic methods. Be used Technically evoked by weak electrical discharge phenomena of light, for example in glow lamps, and plasma lamps.

For corona discharges associated phenomena of light can also be so weak that they can be visually observed only under certain conditions such as in dark rooms or only with appropriate technical aids such as corona cameras.

Electrical discharges are not tied to specific forms or materials of the objects and can by all electrically conductive materials such as metals, but also by living organisms such as animals and plants out. At plane electrically conductive surfaces occur almost homogeneous electric field strengths and on the surface almost uniform discharge. However, different optically detectable discharge patterns are also in these cases by small bumps in the seemingly only flat surface available. When edges or spikes occur because of the edge effect higher electric field strengths with the result that at those points or regions preferred to use the electrical discharges.

The luminous phenomena that originate in the photograph of the electrode, such as a finger, in this sense are not " mysterious rays " but self-luminous discharge channels as a result of a gas discharge. The discharge is influenced by the shape of the electrodes, the distribution of the electrical conductivity, moisture in the gas, evaporation, and other physical factors; also plays a role in the quality of the surface.

Expiration

In a darkened room, a metal plate is placed. To this is an insulator, such as a thin ceramic plate attached. On the plate is now the insulation film to be exposed, mounted with the photosensitive side up. In the film, the subject of your photo, such as a leaf or a person comes. It is important that the object must be an electrical conductor. To the metal plate and then a high voltage of about 20 kV is applied, is obtained for example from a Tesla transformer. Depending on the required exposure time, the voltage of some fractions of a second (about 100 microseconds ) is turned on. Laid around the object, a corona discharge.

Since corona discharges only low electrical currents, these discharges usually are harmless.

Alternative Medical Application

This type of photography is also in alternative medicine use, as It is claimed that allow conclusions on the electrical conductivity of certain body parts. The aim is to assess whether suspected energetic meridians, meridians, are within the meaning of this doctrine blocked. Are taken mainly hands ( fingers ) and feet ( toes), because beginning after presentation of traditional Chinese medicine and end the meridians after acupuncture teaching at the fingertips and toes. By comparing the photographs of hands of people with specific diseases known and the photographs of people who were known not a disease, it was thought to be able to detect disease- typical deviations and so use the recordings diagnostically. Therefore, some medical practitioners working with Kirlian photography as a basis for their history.

The application is to be used for diagnosing diseases and for the detection of treatment success. In a review article of the German Medical Journal to complementary medicine diagnostic procedures, several studies are cited, which showed no this purpose, appropriate reproducibility of Kirlian photography.

Hazards

As with all experiments with high voltage may be caused by improper application to electrical accidents. Particularly at risk are people with pacemakers or heart failure. In case of insufficient ventilation harmful gases such as nitrogen dioxide or ozone can accumulate through the process of gas discharge in air.