Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Insulator samples of Plexiglas and alumina ceramic in vacuum have been subjected to high-voltage pulses with rise times of a few nanoseconds. Breakdown paths were inclined to the electric field in the presence of a magnetic field normal to the insulator surface, analogous to the Hall effect for bulk conduction. These results, as well as measurements of the flashover propagation velocity, strongly support a model of the flashover mechanism based on secondary electron emission.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
R. A. Anderson (1974) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: