Inhibiting surface flashover for space conditions using magnetic fields

The influence of DC and pulsed magnetic fields on dielectric surface breakdown using pulsed test voltages is investigated for space conditions. Prediction from the saturated surface avalanche breakdown model and the experimental results show magnetic insulation effects i.e. an increase of the flashover voltage at magnetic-field amplitudes as low as 0.1 T. The insulation effects depend on the dielectric material, ambient pressure, surface roughness and presence of background plasma. In order to achieve magnetic insulation without a background plasma, it is sufficient to apply the magnetic field to the cathode region only.>