ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF RADIO FREQUENCY GLOW DISCHARGES IN AIR AT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE

Abstract

Gas discharges maintained by radio frequency power were examined in the frequency range 1-25 Mc/s. The discharges were maintained in air at atmospheric pressure between water cooled metal electrodes. The discharges were made symmetric by using two electrodes alike in shape and material. Important discharge quantities such as the voltage necessary to maintain the discharge, current density, and dissipated power were measured. The minimum instantaneous value of voltage necessary to maintain a discharge was found to be 270 volts. The current density is largely independent of current and has a value of 30 amps/sq cm (determined by using the peak discharge current). A minimum power of 4 watts is necessary to maintain a discharge. The influence of current amplitude, frequency, electrode distance, and other parameters on discharge voltage and current density was examined. Both voltage and current density were found to be essentially independent of frequency in the frequency range considered. Furthermore it was found that a number of properties of the type of discharge described in this report are analogous to the corresponding properties of dc glow discharges.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 01, 1967
Accession Number
AD0662397

Entities

People

  • H. A. Schwab

Organizations

  • Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Amplitude
  • Barometric Pressure
  • Current Density
  • Electrical Properties
  • Electrodes
  • Frequency
  • Frequency Bands
  • Gas Discharges
  • Generators
  • Glow Discharges
  • Heat Energy
  • Materials
  • Measurement
  • Radio Frequency
  • Radio Frequency Power
  • Two Dimensional
  • Waveforms

Readers

  • Electronics Engineering
  • Pulsed Power and Plasma Physics.