Experimental Investigation of the Breakdown Strength of a Mercury-Cesium Colloid,
Abstract
An investigation of the breakdown strength of a mercury-cesium vapor undergoing condensation in the presence of helium was performed, using parallel wires as electrodes. An expression was derived which allowed the experimentally determined voltage to be related to the breakdown voltage for plane parallel electrodes. The breakdown relations thus derived were experimentally verified for Heg gas and air. Measurements were made at pressures of the order of half an atmosphere and for an electrode gap of the order of one millimeter. The breakdown voltage of the mercury-cesium colloid was found to depart considerable from the values for Heg. These departures were attributed to a high concentration of mercury in the early part of the experimental run, a velocity effect and Penning ionization of cesium atoms by matastable mercury atoms. The breakdown voltage ranged from a high of 732 volts to a low of 293 volts. The effect of condensation droplets was found to be a negligible contribution in the range investigated. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1971
- Accession Number
- AD0733329
Entities
People
- Alan Pasquale Daurio
Organizations
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology