Publications

This report summarizes the work on breakdown modeling in nonuniform geometries by the ionization coefficient approach. Included are: (1) fits to primary and secondary ionization coefficients used in the modeling; (2) analytical test cases for sphere-to-sphere, wire-to-wire, corner, coaxial, and rod-to-plane geometries; a compilation of experimental data with source references; comparisons between code results, test case results, and experimental data. A simple criterion is proposed to differentiate between corona and spark. The effect of a dielectric surface on avalanche growth is examined by means of Monte Carlo simulations. The presence of a clean dry surface does not appear to enhance growth.

Abstract not provided.

The research discussed in this report was conceived during our earlier attempts to simulate breakdown across a dielectric surface using a Monte Carlo approach. While cataloguing the various ways that a dielectric surface could affect the breakdown process, we found that one obvious effect--photoemission from the surface--had been ignored. Initially, we felt that inclusion of this effect could have a major impact on how an ionization front propagates across a surface because of the following argument chain: (1) The photon energy required to release electrons from a surface via photoemission is less than the photon energy required to ionize gas molecules directly. (2) The mean free path of a photon in gas is longer for low-energy photons than for high-energy photons. (3) Photoionization is a major effect in advancing the ionization front for breakdown in gas without a surface, therefore, we know that even high-energy photons can be released from the head of a streamer and propagate some distance through the gas. Our hypothesis, therefore, was that photons with energies near the threshold of photoemission could travel further in front of the streamer before being absorbed than higher-energy photons needed for photoionization, yet the lower-energy photons, with the help of the surface, could still create seed electrons for new avalanches. Thus, the streamer would advance more rapidly next to a surface than in gas alone. Additionally, the photoemission from the surface would add to the electrons in the avalanche and cause the avalanche to grow faster. After some study, however, we are forced to conclude that although photoemission does contribute to avalanche growth at fields near breakdown threshold, secondary electron emission causes electrons to stick to the surface and cancels out the growth due to photoemission. This conclusion assumes a discharge that occurs over a short period of time so that charging of the surface, which could alter its secondary electron emission characteristics, does not occur. This report documents the numerical work we did on investigating this effect and the experimental work we did on pre-breakdown phenomena in gas.

The goal of this project was to develop a device that uses electric fields to grasp and possibly levitate LIGA parts. This non-contact form of grasping would solve many of the problems associated with grasping parts that are only a few microns in dimensions. Scaling laws show that for parts this size, electrostatic and electromagnetic forces are dominant over gravitational forces. This is why micro-parts often stick to mechanical tweezers. If these forces can be controlled under feedback control, the parts could be levitated, possibly even rotated in air. In this project, we designed, fabricated, and tested several grippers that use electrostatic and electromagnetic fields to grasp and release metal LIGA parts. The eventual use of this tool will be to assemble metal and non-metal LIGA parts into small electromechanical systems.

One of the tasks performed routinely by the Electromagnetics and Plasma Physics Analysis Department at Sandia National Laboratories is analyzing the effects of direct-strike lightning on Faraday cages that protect sensitive items. The Faraday cages analyzed thus far have many features in common. This report is an attempt to collect equations and other information that have been routinely used in the past in order to facilitate future analysis.

This paper presents models and measurements of antenna input impedance in resonant cavities at high frequencies.The behavior of input impedance is useful in determining the transmission and reception characteristics of an antenna (as well as the transmission characteristics of certain apertures). Results are presented for both the case where the cavity is undermoded (modes with separate and discrete spectra) as well as the over moded case (modes with overlapping spectra). A modal series is constructed and analyzed to determine the impedance statistical distribution. Both electrically small as well as electrically longer resonant and wall mounted antennas are analyzed. Measurements in a large mode stirred chamber cavity are compared with calculations. Finally a method based on power arguments is given, yielding simple formulas for the impedance distribution.

The purpose of this research was to develop a science-based understanding of the early-time behavior of electric surface arcing in air at atmospheric pressure. As a first step towards accomplishing this, we used a kinetic approach to model an electron swarm as it evolved in a neutral gas under the influence of an applied electric field. A computer code was written in which pseudo-particles, each representing some number of electrons, were accelerated by an electric field. The electric field due to the charged particles was calculated efficiently using a tree algorithm. Collision of the electrons with the background gas led to the creation of new particles through the processes of ionization and photoionization. These processes were accounted for using measured cross-section data and Monte Carlo methods. A dielectric half-space was modeled by imaging the charges in its surface. Secondary electron emission from the surface, resulting in surface charging, was also calculated. Simulation results show the characteristics of a streamer in three dimensions. A numerical instability was encountered before the streamer matured to form branching.

Abstract not provided.

The simple formula, {l_angle}P{sub r}{r_angle}=(E{sub o}{sup 2}/{eta})({lambda}{sup 2}/8{pi}), for the received power of an antenna with a matched load in an over-moded cavity actually holds for an antenna of any shape and size. This can be seen from the close connection between the correlation tensor of the cavity field at two different points and the imaginary part of the free-space dyadic Green's function.