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Function of a three-terminal spark gap

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T3sl4co1l:
Oddly, the pointy electrode design predisposes it to corona discharge, making it less reliable as a measurement tool (besides all the problems with atmospheric discharge in the first place).

Tim

floobydust:
In one science paper, the teaser electrode arc was said to emit UV which would then start the main arc.
So I tried pointing a UV LED at a spark gap and it hardly makes a difference in breakdown voltage. Thought maybe one could make a light activated spark gap.
Something good for transient generators, ESD guns etc.

T3sl4co1l:
Or if not the air, then the work function of the electrodes.  Which will be pretty high if made from common metals.

Hm, I don't know offhand if there are even any air-stable metals, intermetallic alloys, or compounds (oxides, sulfides, etc.) that have a work function lower than the ionization potential of molecular oxygen (i.e., ca. 250nm UV).

Tim

MagicSmoker:

--- Quote from: floobydust on October 05, 2019, 05:45:55 am ---In one science paper, the teaser electrode arc was said to emit UV which would then start the main arc.
So I tried pointing a UV LED at a spark gap and it hardly makes a difference in breakdown voltage....

--- End quote ---

The wavelength needs to be closer to the mercury line (254nm, UV-C) to reliably initiate ionization in the gap and almost all UV LEDs emit in the long end of UV-A (~400nm) which is only good for making fluorescent things glow in the dark.

Gyro:
UHP Mercury vapour projector lamps use an optically coupled separate UV (<270nm) corona discharge cavity to initiate the discharge in the main (>200 bar pressure) chamber... https://www.lightsearch.com/pdf/uhp.pdf

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