Project Hessdalen - Workshop Abstract

The Hessdalen phenomenon is an intriguing enigma for fundamental physics. Mysterious multiform and multicolour lights, which are reported in a valley of central Norway since at least 20 years, show the surprising characteristics of causing a very high release of energy (up-to 1 MW), of showing a very long time-decay (up-to 2 hours), and of being accompanied with sharp electromagnetic perturbations. This reliable evidence is sufficient to trigger the interest of physical scientists in order to probe the study of this phenomenon by using the classical galilean method. Project Hessdalen leaded by assistant professor Erling Strand of �stfold College was the first attempt in the world of measuring this kind of atmospheric phenomenon. The Hessdalen phenomenon is itself the prototype of a more general phenomenon which has been reported in several other areas of the world, therefore the techniques of measurement which are applied in the Hessdalen research may be applied elsewere as well. The author introduces his presentation by showing a recent analysis of the most important results which were obtained by Project Hessdalen during the 1984 campaign, in particular the correlation of the luminous events with magnetic registrations. Subsequently, the results of scientific relevance which were obtained in August 2000 by the joint italian-norwegian Project EMBLA are presented, by showing in detail the analysis and the physical interpretation of the radio and optical data, in particular the evidence of "spike-like" and "doppler-like" VLF radio signals, and some anomalies of the surface light distribution (Point Spread Function) of the luminous phenomenon after photographic and video frames were obtained. In a further phase of the presentation, the author presents a wide-spectrum research project to be carried out in the next future, which is based on the use of sophisticated astronomy-like detectors and analysers which are connected to a radar-tracking system of military type. The physical parameters which can be obtained from the proposed equipment are presented in detail and the consequent scientific goals are epistemologically presented and amply discussed. The second part of the presentation is dedicated to the theory and practice of photometry and spectroscopy, by showing that such techniques which are typical of the current astrophysical research can be plainly used in order to acquire precious data of the luminous phenomena occurring in Hessdalen as well as in the case of more classical celestial objects. Finally, the optical instrumentation which is currently used by the ICPH 2001 scientific expedition are presented also by showing the first obtained results and the scientific goals for the very near future.

REFERENCES

Strand E., Project Hessdalen, http://hessdalen.hiof.no/
Teodorani, S. Montebugnoli, J. Monari (2000), The Embla 2000 Mission in Hessdalen, NIDS (National Institute for Discovery Science), Articles, http://www.nidsci.org .
Teodorani M. (2001), Physics from "UFO" Data, ICPH Articles, http://www.itacomm.net/PH/