Re: Gap Question

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

Original poster: "Jim Lux" <jimlux-at-earthlink-dot-net> 

 > Although there is a wealth of information regarding spark formation, many
 > of theory's take the form of "pre-spark" processes or streamer processes.
 > When looking for information regarding the above, I can't seem to scrounge
 > up much.

IEEE Proceedings, mid 70's
Two papers of interest (but I can't find the issues at hand... and IEEE
xplore only goes back to 1988 for some reason... how lame for a real
"journal of record")
One is on power transmission via arc (in an issue talking about ground
transportation)
One is on vacuum arcs, in the context of vacuum circuit breakers/relays
(particularly with "drawn arcs")

Both have a lot of detail on the "post initiation" behavior of arcs,
including cathode spots (there's a certain power density that virtually all
cathode spots have, and a maximum size of the spots, so higher power arcs
have multiple cathode spots).

I think the second paper is:
VACUUM ARCS AND SWITCHING
FARRALL GA
PROCEEDINGS OF THE IEEE
61 (8): 1113-1136 1973


 >
 > >I cannot agree that pipe spark gaps simultaneously conduct along their
 > >whole length as at least one person has said.
 > >
 > >Malcolm