How can electrons travel in these beams if they repel?
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$\begingroup$ Hi Jimmy How do you know those flashes actually contain electrons? What I mean is, does a light beam contain electrons Regards $\endgroup$– user74893Apr 6, 2015 at 1:39
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How can electrons travel in these beams if they repel?
First of all, the picture you posted looks like lightning which is basically arcing, i.e., ionization of gas to create a conductive path. This is not what I would typically consider an "electron beam".
To answer you question: Creating and maintaining the integrity of an electron beam is not easy. It requires some engineering. But it is certainly possible, you just have to compensate for the repulsive force between electrons by some other forces, often referred to as electron "lenses" since they focus electron beams just like optical lenses focus light. This is done all the time with electron microscopes.
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$\begingroup$ I mean without the methods used in things like betatrons, such as lighting. $\endgroup$– Jimmy360Apr 6, 2015 at 1:40
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1$\begingroup$ The current travelling along the conductive path of ionized gas in lightning is "held together" for the same reason that current travelling along the conductive oath of a wire is "held together". It has no where else to go. The more interesting question is how the conductive path gets created in the lightning event. I would google "lightning" and "arcing" if I were you. $\endgroup$– hftApr 6, 2015 at 1:42
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$\begingroup$ Oh so, it is held because the ionized path has the highest electric potential? $\endgroup$– Jimmy360Apr 6, 2015 at 1:44