Re: Official air breakdown voltage?

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: <davep@xxxxxxxx>


>> The 30 kV/cm figure for initial breakdown is valid for at least 300 MHz.
>> (At least, this is what my "Reference Data for Radio Engineers" says.)

>>     Never noticed that; it's one of my standard references (have
>> several editions starting with #1, but never looked up breakdown
>> voltage).
    I think some care, here, may be needed in the use of the
    of the term 'valid'.

    Breakdown voltage varies muchly with frequency, even from DC to
    low audio.  (cf Peek, for one....).  Values presented in Handbooks
    are for a purpose, which may or may not be obvious in the
    presentation.  It may be that 'keep it under 30KV/cm' is
    valid for safe equipment desing, while being useless for
    measuring, or for complex wavefroms.

    Most engineering specs need to be understood, in depth,
    especially at their 'edges'.

    best
     dwp
      (sample story on request....)