Ye Wenjie, watch my moves closely.

Chapter 64 The Man Who Chased Ball Lightning

"The 103rd proton-electron collision experiment is ready. Energy injection."

"Wait a minute! The department scheduled one hundred experiments, but you did one hundred and three? It's time! It's time! Please vacate the collider after this experiment."

Since its completion, the Liangxiang particle collider has been operating at full capacity for three months. Each group has experiments to conduct, and such debates are frequently seen in the particle collider's control room.

In order to maximize the efficiency of the particle collider, Li Youyu had Ning Shi connect Li Bai to the collider's system. All usage requests were scheduled through this system to avoid conflicts between users.

With the aid of the particle collider, the theoretical physics team verified recent cutting-edge quantum physics discoveries and, based on these findings, established a more accurate Standard Model of particle physics.

The chip team identified the source of the leakage problem in transistors during deep nanoscale fabrication based on precise particle physics models.

Once a problem arises, finding a solution becomes much easier.

Advances in theoretical physics have also driven the invention of superconducting materials. The superconducting research team at the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed several composite superconductors by deducing synthesis formulas based on particle properties.

Generally speaking, when the temperature drops to absolute zero, which is -273.15°C, the movement of atoms is close to freezing, some substances will exhibit a superconducting state, and the electrical resistance will be zero.

Unexcited ball lightning, also known as macro-electrons, is easily dissipated as heat by the resistance of materials during its flow. Therefore, to successfully capture macro-electrons, wires and batteries made of superconducting materials must be used.

Under normal conditions, the requirements for preparing absolute zero are extremely stringent. Macro-electronics are mostly distributed in the high atmosphere, and it is impossible to prepare the absolute zero required for superconducting materials to work in the high atmosphere with just a few aircraft.

However, the materials produced by the superconducting team exhibit superconductivity at a working temperature of 93K, and their transformation to maturity occurs at -180℃.

It is more than 100 degrees higher than the absolute zero required for other superconducting materials to operate!

To put this into perspective, maintaining the operating temperature of a superconducting system doesn't require any large equipment; a tank of liquid nitrogen is all you need!

The superconducting team is working hard to solidify this achievement, while Li Youyu has already started his macro-electron capture project in Southern Metropolis Daily.

To support him, the military specially selected pilots from the Nanbatian Combat Brigade, who had distinguished themselves in combat, from the Air Force.

This combat brigade has long been responsible for combat readiness duties in the South China Sea and has rich combat experience.

"We need to conduct several test flights to test whether the arc generator has enough energy."

The difficulty in uncovering macroelectronics' operational plans lies in determining its location.

This almost transparent thing is difficult to spot unless observed up close.

In the original work, Lin Yun's method was to use artificial lightning to excite macro-electrons, turning them into observable ball lightning. The moment the ball lightning disappeared, a superconducting wire was extended towards the location where it disappeared, and it could be successfully captured.

Lin Yun is still young, and lightning weapons have not yet been developed, but manufacturing lightning is not a difficult task.

Two helicopters are raised to an altitude of 1,000 meters and flown side by side. When they get close enough, the charge accumulated on the high-voltage conductive arms extended by the helicopters will break down the air, creating an electric arc and generating artificial lightning.

If there are macro-electron cavitation bubbles in the flight path, they will be successfully excited by this electric arc, forming ball lightning.

Before takeoff, Li Youyu brought over several buckets of gray paint, without a manufacturer or label.

Along with this batch of paint, a middle-aged man with a limp arrived at the military airport.

"Teacher Zhang, have them apply your lightning protection paint to the aircraft body."

Li Youyu pointed to the two helicopters parked in the hangar.

Upon hearing this, the military representative in charge of cooperating decisively rejected Li Youyu, saying, "Comrade, the surface of this coating is very rough and does not meet the aerodynamic requirements for helicopter surfaces. In addition, this coating may corrode the fuselage skin."

Once the skin is corroded, it becomes very difficult to repair.

However, the most important point is that he didn't consider that the most dangerous part of this flight was actually the electric arc.

"Let's try it on the ground first."

Li Youyu didn't explain much, and had a guide vehicle with an arc generator mounted on it approach the helicopter.

All that could be seen was that the electric arc forked as it passed over helicopter number 1. Although the main branch was still connected to the helicopter's arc receiver, the branches spread along the surface of the fuselage. Three or four seconds later, a burst of fire appeared on the propeller at the tail, and a burnt smell wafted out.

The military representative broke out in a cold sweat.

The tail propeller is responsible for balancing torque. Once power is lost, the fuselage will rotate in the opposite direction of the main propeller, causing it to crash.

If this happened in the sky, the consequences would be catastrophic.

Before Li Youyu could speak, he immediately organized the soldiers to paint the fuselage with this nameless paint.

Upon retesting, the electric arc did not spread to other places, but was obediently confined to the main channel.

late at night.

Two helicopters, painted with lightning protection material, took off one after the other. Zhang Bin, who had been invited, sat in the cabin of one of them, watching the lights below gradually shrink into a bright spot.

When the altimeter reached an altitude of 5000 meters, another helicopter began to approach. Its outline began to appear in the night sky. Zhang Bin saw the aircraft number illuminated by the navigation lights. Finally, he could even see the face of the other pilot clearly.

"Professor Zhang, put on your goggles! We're almost at the point where the electric arc will trigger!"

The pilot shouted a warning into his headset.

"It's okay."

Zhang Bin replied, "I've seen it all before, I can adapt!"

He studies atmospheric lightning phenomena and has come into contact with all kinds of lightning, so he is no longer surprised by them.

He had a strong intuition that he would see the long-lost ball lightning tonight, and he wanted to observe it with his naked eye, not wanting to miss a single moment.

A crisp buzzing sound came from outside the cabin. In Zhang Bin's vision, the other party's helicopter suddenly stood out clearly in a blinding blue light, and the seat under his buttocks began to vibrate continuously.

"This is the electrodynamic force generated by the electric arc, and it will only last for a few cycles, so don't worry."

Zhang Bin subconsciously reminded him.

The pilot smiled easily. "Understood, Professor Zhang. This is in the flight plan."

After a few breaths, the buzzing in the cabin indeed disappeared.

After the electric arc stabilized, the two aircraft formations simultaneously began to retreat to both sides. The electric arc grew longer and longer until Zhang Bin could no longer see the other aircraft, only a hundred-meter-long electric arc embedded in the darkness.

Next comes the most difficult part. With such low visibility, the two helicopter pilots must rely on their naked eyes to maintain synchronization of flight speed and heading. If there is even the slightest misalignment, the arc channel will be interrupted, resulting in the failure of the flight mission.

The two pilots slowly pushed the control stick, and the helicopter moved forward. 10 seconds, 20 seconds...

This net, woven from electric arcs, moves steadily against the backdrop of stars.

Zhang Bin's breathing became increasingly rapid.

After his wife died, his health deteriorated, and the condition of his leg, which had been injured by ball lightning at Yuhuangding in his early years, continued to worsen.

He could no longer go to deserted places with his wife to chase ball lightning as he used to.

But he never gave up the search.

He almost never missed a thunderstorm near his home.

But...

For more than a decade, he never saw that mysterious ball lightning again.

What could be more painful than wanting something and not getting it?

But tonight, the opportunity is right in front of us.

There must be unactivated macro-electrons hidden in the sky above this southern capital!

The flight lasted for more than twenty minutes, during which time the cabin remained silent except for brief conversations between the pilots over the radio.

As can be seen, the brightness of the electric arc between the two machines gradually weakens, indicating that the energy of the arc-initiating battery they carry is about to be exhausted.

Zhang Bin knew that success was never achieved overnight, and that the night was long, but he still had time.

Just then, the pilot's voice suddenly came through the headset:

"Target spotted! Two on the left side of Unit 1, about halfway between!"

Zhang Bin's expression changed, and he immediately leaned over the porthole to look outside.

Twelve years later, he saw the ball lightning that haunted his dreams once again.

To the left of the helicopter, an arc of electricity swept out two spheres, one large and one small. Then, orange-red ball lightning trailed a wisp of light as it flew along a changing curve in the night sky.

Just as described in the 52 eyewitness account, these two ball lightning bolts were completely unaffected by the strong winds at high altitudes.

They are drifting against the wind.

The pilot pushed the control stick, and the Arc 1 helicopter that Zhang Bin was riding slowed down, extinguishing the electric arc between the two helicopters.

In the entire world, two ball lightning bolts became the only two main characters.

The thin clouds in the sky were tinged red by them, like a sunrise on the horizon.

Looking at this extraordinary sight, Zhang Bin's eyes suddenly stung with tears.

"What a nice view."

The dream became reality. Even though ball lightning took his wife's life, Zhang Bin still couldn't bring himself to hate it.

The phenomenon lasted for a minute, after which the two ball lightning bolts suddenly disappeared into the night sky.

The plane quickly returned to base, and Zhang Bin was completely limp when he got off the plane.

"Thank you."

He lay on the ground and loudly thanked Li Youyu, expressing his gratitude for making his dream come true.

After calming down, he found Li Youyu and said with some regret,

"It's difficult."

He shook his head. "Ball lightning is too fast. The helicopter has a hard time keeping up with it. If we also carry the equipment for manufacturing superconducting cryogenics up there, we definitely won't be able to catch up."

Zhang Bin had some knowledge of the rule limiting superconducting materials, which is called the McMillan limit, approximately 40K, or -233.15 degrees Celsius.

The temperature required for any substance to become superconducting cannot exceed this value.

The most advanced material internationally is a material called niobium-titanium alloy, whose critical temperature is close to this value, at about -250 degrees Celsius.

The liquid helium required to maintain its low temperature has extremely stringent storage requirements; the container must first be filled with liquid nitrogen for insulation before it can be stored properly.

Due to the nested structure, the container for liquid helium is extremely heavy.

"Even fighter jets won't work."

Zhang Bin shook his head again, rejecting his idea.

Although fighter jets are fast, they have strict requirements on payload and cannot carry large-mass cryogenic equipment.

"You mean this? It's simple."

One phone call was made, and the next day, a military truck delivered the supplies to the base.

"What is this?"

Zhang Bin asked.

"Superconducting, operating temperature 93K."

"How many??"

Zhang Bin found it hard to believe that since the McMillan limit was discovered in 1957, the operating temperature of superconducting materials has been hovering around 40K for nearly thirty years.

Countless researchers have devoted themselves to this work, yet none have been able to achieve a breakthrough.

result....

Superconducting materials that can be converted with just a bottle of liquid nitrogen have actually appeared in China?!

Zhang Bin found it hard to believe. If this were true, he wondered how much value it could create if applied to industry.

"I'll give it a try."

Zhang Bin used readily available materials to make a simple insulated box, put the new materials inside, and connected the multimeter probes to both ends of the materials, sealing them together inside.

Next, as long as he injects liquid nitrogen into it, the resistance value of the material will be fed back to the dial of the multimeter through the probes.

Liquid nitrogen was injected through a specially designed insulated opening, and the temperature reading on the thermometer, indicating the temperature of the insulated chamber, continued to decrease.

A few minutes later, the reading on the multimeter dial clicked and dropped to zero.

"It's done!"

Zhang Bin lost his composure and shouted.

Materials that can achieve superconductivity using only the low temperatures created by liquid nitrogen are a perfect fit for macro-electron capture programs.

This slight increase in weight is practically negligible for a helicopter.

"Is this also a result of the Deep Space Research Department?"

Zhang Bin asked.

Through previous contact, he already knew Li Youyu's identity and that the prototype Type I chip was made by them.

"It's the result of the Chinese Academy of Sciences' superconducting team; we only made a small contribution."

"This is terrible, this is terrible!"

Zhang Bin was astonished. Li Youyu said it was just a little bit, but he believed it was definitely more than that.

Behind them is a group of physics superhumans; sooner or later, this department will lead humanity into space.

That evening, the helicopter formation took off again, and the two aircraft carrying superconducting materials and cooling equipment did not experience a significant decrease in speed.

The results of this sky survey were better than the previous ones. During the half-hour flight, four ball lightning bolts were observed in the sky.

However, there was still no harvest tonight.

"It's not that we can't catch up, it's that its period of stability is too short."

Back in the hangar, Zhang Bin summarized, "According to my model, ball lightning only takes 0.5 seconds from extinguishing to drifting away again."

"In other words, the superconducting lead must reach the location where the ball lightning disappears within 0.5 seconds."

Zhang Bin took out a piece of white paper and did some calculations. "I'll calculate the pilot's reaction time as 0.2 seconds, and the aircraft's response speed as 0.5 seconds... Hmm, that's not enough."

The pilot was a lieutenant colonel, known for his exceptional skills in the original combat brigade.

He leaned closer, pointed to the pilot's data, and said, "It can be reduced further. My maximum reaction time is 0.12 seconds. The aircraft's response time can also be streamlined. By removing unnecessary transmission parts, it can be reduced to 0.4 seconds."

That's still not enough.

Zhang Bin said.