I'm reading on the history of the discovery of electricity and the electron, and I've went from reading about Rutherford's gold leaf experiment all the way back to Francis Hauksbee's spinning glass machine.
Hauksbee was essentially the first person to preform scientific study on the effects of electrostatics in vacuum. He observed that when spinning a glass orb evacuated of air (vacuum inside the orb) and while placing his hand on the spinning orb, a charge was created such that blueish glow was seen inside the orb, where his hands were placed, and on the opposite side of the orb.
As seen here:
I understand the glow of fluorescent tubes due to an electric current driven through a gas -filled tube, i understand the effect of the release of a photon when an electron decreases an energy level, and that gives the glow.
What I don't understand is why is the glow inside of the orb instead of outside, and why does the glow "stick" to Hauksbee's hand? and furthermore, what does the vacuum have to do with the glowing effect? Can I preform the same results with an orb that inside is a nearly complete vacuum or no air at all?
I'm intrigued because the advancement in our scientifically and technological abilities was due to the "combination" of vacuum and electrostatics (tribo-electric effect) and I want to understand the thought process that brought Hauksbee to build this machine.
Thanks in advance! :)
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