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Re: secondary coatings,sealing and breakdown

> Magnetic fields do have an effect on electrical discharges in that they 
> help retain electrons in the regions of high magnetic field- but I think 
> the magnetic field effect is not big enough to make a difference for tesla 
> coils.

	I disagree.  At a relatively low power (1kVA), your magnetic field 
intensity due to the current is pretty intense. Further, a constantly 
varying magnetic flux does little to hold electrons (or ions) in place, it 
tends to move them in perpendiculars to the field fluctuation, i.e. 
toward either of the walls of the form. 

> So, if you run wires or anything inside the coil form, they will distort 
> the electric field and cause discharges...

	Or likewise, imperfections of the inside of the coil form?

> I'm still confused by the advantage of hermetic sealing, though. Perhaps 
> Richard can provide some more insight. A guess is that the closeed 
> secondary prevents motion of the slightly ionized gases to regions where 
> they can become concentrated enough to cause a breakdown....?

	Again, my guess is that the end caps disrupt the fields enough to 
prevent the formation of any arc.

Stan