U.S. Air Force Flying Discs File, 1952

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TD IDIIYERSITY OJ!' VISCONSDr
College of En~neering
Madison 6
Department ot
Slectr1e&l Bngineering
Ao.gust 2. 1952
McJ. Gen. John A. Sadord
Air ~oree Director of Intelligence
\f'o.ehin&ton. D. C.
J>ear ·str:
I 1hould like to preaeut to y011 "hat r believe to
be a tenable theoey as to the origin and nature ot the
pllenomen.a popularly kno"D as •n11~ 68.ucersn .
•
It bas been ai:tpl;r daonatrated that electr~mgnetlc
radiation of sufficient power densi\7 is capable of
ionizing gas at low pressure. Upon deion1sat1on. the
t,11a emits radiation ot eharacteriatic waTe lengths._ come
ot i.hieh lie in the Tisible spectrma.
Jlnrther. it 1a
known that radar equipment can detect ionised gaa, such••
northern lights. or charged wahr droplets. such aa ap:pear
in thunderclouda.
I belieTe that ionization of diao-shaped aegcienta of
air 1n the upper atmosphere u7 be cauaed w beaJBI from a r
radar transaitter held in a flied position or slovl7 traYeraed.
instead of the uaual aweepin« Jllotion.
!o ver1f7 the possibility. I propose in the Ter7 near
future to conduct an experiment.
.6. glass sphere containing
air at atmoSJ-'here pressure will be erposed to radiation of a
kn.ow wave length and power denait7. !he pressure in the
aphere vill then be reduced until: 1on1zaUon. occurs.
!he
screen of a separate radar transmitter- receiver will also
be obserTed to note vl:iether the change in the eon.ditton ot
the air is detectable b,- ractu,-.
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.John C. VelJer
2007 hgineerin«
Assoc. Prof. of E. • ·
COP Y
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