RESEARCH STUDY OF MICROWAVE BREAKDOWN OF AIR AT HIGH ALTITUDES
Abstract
Almost all of the published work dealing with voltage breakdown at microwave frequencies was concerned with breakdown in the presence of surfaces to which articles can diffuse. Recent laboratory experiments performed using focused microwaves to effect a discharge in the absence of proximate surfaces are described. The experiments were concerned with: (1) the determination of the power level at which the breakdown occurs; (2) the ability of the atmosphere to act as a medium for the transmission of power after breakdown has occurred; and (3) the properties of the plasma formed when breakdown occurs. Data is presented on minimum power reqired for breakdown under these conditions, demonstrating agreement with theoretical analysis based on models of varying complexity. An experiment is described which shows that power per unit of input power, received beyond the discharge plasma by a test antenna, decreases as power is increased after breakdown. Measurements with positive ion probes are described, showing that this type of discharge induces lower maximum ionization densities than those in a section of waveguide where the RF is constrained to propagate directly through the plasma. Finally, a microwave technique is described for determining the ionization rate of various gases; the results given for such measurements are shown to compare favorably with other techniques for this determination.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1962
- Accession Number
- AD0287507
Entities
People
- Tetsu Morita
- William C. Taylor
- William E. Scharfman
Organizations
- SRI International