Re: Corona and Sphere - Puzzle -addition

• To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
• Subject: Re: Corona and Sphere - Puzzle -addition
• From: "Malcolm Watts" <malcolm.watts-at-wnp.ac.nz> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)
• Date: Thu, 28 Oct 1999 18:29:41 -0600
• Approved: twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net
• Delivered-To: fixup-tesla-at-pupman-dot-com-at-fixme

Hi Jim,

> Original Poster: "Jim Lux" <jimlux-at-jpl.nasa.gov> 
> 
> 
> The spark continues to extend not so much because it is a lower
> impedance, but the extending leader/streamer causes a local
> concentration of the E field at the end of the leader. It is likely
> that this end is "closer" to the other electrode (which might be an
> extended "ground"), so the spark will continue from there. It is much
> like the already existing leader is a "wire" which extends from the
> electrode.
> 
> There are some important dynamic effects as well.. It takes a finite
> time for charge to move from the electrode into the leader, as well as
> a finite time for the leader itself to develop. For instance, the
> charge moving along the leader has to heat the air enough to ionize it
> and make it a conductor in the first place. Large top electrodes have
> large capacitance and voltage (which means lots of stored charge),
> and, as well, low surface inductance, so the charge can quickly move
> into the leader from the surface of the toroid.
> 
> For a good theoretical development, with much of the latest research,
> I suggest that you find a copy of Bazelyan and Raizer, "Spark
> Discharge" published by CRC press. 

Does that really address the problem posed by the unmasked 
portion of the terminal not breaking out despite being at a high 
enough voltage to do so?

Regards,
Malcolm 

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