RF breakdown references?

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Jim Lux by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <jimlux-at-earthlink-dot-net>

Here's your chance to help the NASA Mars Exploration program out...

I'm looking for literature references for electrical breakdown in low
pressure (1 torr) gases at higher radio frequencies (UHF and up..X-band,
Ka-band).  There's a fair literature at atmospheric pressures (some of
which gets discussed regularly on this list), but not so much at pressures
representative of the surface of Mars, for example.
We've got tons of stuff on DC and low frequency breakdown (i.e. 50/60 Hz),
and for pulses of various kinds, as well, but we're having trouble finding
things on RF (funny thing, that...)

You can reply off list if you wish... (jimlux-at-jpl.nasa.gov or
jimlux-at-earthlink-dot-net both work..)


Jim Lux
Spacecraft Telecommunications Section
Jet Propulsion Lab
4800 Oak Grove Avenue, Mail Stop 161-213
Pasadena CA 91109
(818)354-2075