Robert K. Golka, Jr.

Robert K. Golka, Jr. was an experimental researcher known for his ambitious, large-scale studies into high-voltage electrical phenomena, advanced pulsed power, and laboratory-generated ball lightning. Operating outside traditional academic and defense frameworks, Golka established Project Tesla at the decommissioned Wendover Air Force Base in Utah. Utilizing modified high-output hardware—including surplus diesel-electric railroad locomotives configured as massive power sources—Golka constructed colossal air-core resonant transformers. His apparatus achieved potentials reported at 25 million volts, producing continuous electrical discharges and sparks measuring up to 50 feet in length.

A primary focus of Golka's research was validating and replicating the early plasma vortex and ball lightning work of physicist James L. Tuck, who had previously investigated high-current discharge phenomena related to submarine battery banks following his work on the Perhapsatron at Los Alamos. Golka's experimental configurations sought to confine stable, self-contained plasmoids, contributing empirical high-power data to the broader plasma physics community. His open-air and hangar-based discharge tests intersected conceptually with contemporary plasma confinement studies, including early field-reversed configurations analyzed by researchers like Francis Thio. Golka's unique experimental approach made him a notable figure in alternative high-energy discharge research throughout the late 20th century.