Hi Jeff,
Thanks for the detailed explanation of the gap's operation.
So it would appear that a large, perfectly parallel, smooth surface is the
key to this gap's success?
I do not accept the "heat rises" explanation. Heat does not rise, it
radiates in all directions... the same as light; hot air will rise relative
to cool air in a gravitational field. However, these plates are so close
together that it is difficult to imagine convection could be at play with
such a small temperature gradient between them. Could it be that the plates
with a thin air gap are somehow acting like a Peltier Junction? After all,
some gases, such as oxygen, are metals, too.
This is giving me the idea that an effective spark gap in a DC coil can be
made with a flat plate and flat-bottomed heat sink. The larger the surface
area, the better.
Dave
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