Summary
Expressions are derived for the determination of the space-charge field in front of an avalanche, for the widening of the avalanche's head due to electrostatic repulsion and for the minimum breakdown voltage of uniform gaps. In principle, this last condition is based on a modification of the criterion for streamer advance developed by Raether, Meek et. al. An attempt is made to consider the avalanche as an electric dipole oriented in a direction parallel to the applied field and use is made of the radial instead of the axial field of the avalanche's head.
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References
Raether, H., Z. f. Physik117 (1941) 375, 524.
Meek, J. M. and J. D. Craggs, Electrical Breakdown of Cases, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1953.
Loeb, L. B. and J. M. Meek, The Mechanism of the Electric Spark, Stanford University Press, Stanford, 1941.
Raether, H., Z. f. Physik107 (1937) 104.
Petropoulos, G., Phys. Rev.78 (1950) 252.
Raether, H., Appl. sci. Res.B 5 (1955) 228.
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Kontaratos, A.N. Breakdown voltage calculation for air in uniform fields. Appl. Sci. Res. 12, 18–26 (1965). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00382103
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00382103