[time-nuts] Thunderbolt stability and ambient temperature

[Rex]

John Miles wrote:

>>Rex
>>
>>your experience with the hot bar is quite common.
>>    
>>
>
>Sounds like a pretty reasonable manifestation of the Leidenfrost effect.
>The water in contact with the hot end of the bar vaporizes, and the
>resulting steam layer (which might be microscopic) does a good job
>insulating the bar.  There's nowhere else for the heat to radiate or conduct
>to, except towards the cold end of the bar.
>
>-- john, KE5FX
>
>
>
>  
>

John,
You too never cease to impress by providing bits of knowledege I've 
never heard about.
Leidenfrost effect. My first instinct was to dismember the German word, 
which was a bad idea. Wiki told me about the relevant meaning.

Yes, that is a possibility about what I may have observed.

Let's see. I should produce the same efffect by jamming the hot end into 
a tight insulating hole. Shouldn't be too hard to test subjectively.
My guess --  there is more than that involved. But just speculation so 
far. I haven't even proved my initial observation.