Re: The Chicken or the Egg?

• To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
• Subject: Re: The Chicken or the Egg?
• From: "Malcolm Watts" <MALCOLM-at-directorate.wnp.ac.nz> (by way of Terry Fritz <terryf-at-verinet-dot-com>)
• Date: Mon, 07 Sep 1998 21:26:14 -0600
• Approved: terryf-at-verinet-dot-com

Hi Greg,

> Original Poster: "Gregory R. Hunter" <ghunter-at-enterprise-dot-net> 
> 
> Dear List,
> 
> I was reading John Freau's response to Gary Weaver's post, "60 inch
> discharge spark with resistor", and it made me curious about something
> fundamental.  Below is John's question:
> 
> <Big Snip>Did you notice if your gap dimmed as the streamer grew in length?
> 
> >John Freau
> 
> So here's what I'm wondering:  Does breakout cause quenching, or does
> quenching cause breakout?  Does one come before the other, or are the two
> events linked in a more complicated way?  Just curious.
> 
> Greg

Observation of a number of my systems convinces me that on the whole, 
breakout causes quenching. If there is no energy left in the system, 
the gap cannot continue to conduct. Having said that, a system 
operating at low power can be made to effect ideal quench even 
without breakout. Quenching under no breakout conditions gets harder 
and harder as power levels go up.  

Malcolm

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