Effect of temperature on the uniform field breakdown strength of electronegative gases

Conference · Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6688086

Christophorou, L G; Mathis, R A; Hunter, S R; Carter, J G

In general, the electron attachment rate constant, k/sub a/ (,UPSILON), as a function of the mean electron energy and temperature UPSILON for electronegative gases which attach electrons nondissociatively decreases greatly with UPSILON from room temperature to UPSILON less than or equal to 600K, while that for electronegative gases which attach electrons dissociatively increases with increasing UPSILON. Based on recent studies in our laboratory on k/sub a/ (,UPSILON), we investigated the variation with UPSILON (approx.295-575K) of the uniform field breakdown strength, (E/N)/sub lim/, for three classes of electronegative gases: (a) gases such as c-C/sub 4/F/sub 8/ (and c-C/sub 4/F/sub 6/, 1-C/sub 3/F/sub 6/) which attach strongly low-energy (less than or equal to 1 eV) electrons nondissociatively and for which k/sub a/ (,UPSILON), decreases precipitously with UPSILON above ambient; (b) gases such as C/sub 2/F/sub 6/ and CF/sub 3/Cl which attach electrons exclusively dissociatively and whose k/sub a/ (,UPSILON) increases with UPSILON; and (c) gases such as C/sub 3/F/sub 8/ and n-C/sub 4/F/sub 10/ which attach electrons both nondissociatively and dissociatively over a common low-energy range and whose k/sub a/ (,UPSILON) first decreases and then increases with UPSILON above ambient. The (E/N)/sub lim/(UPSILON) has been found to decrease significantly with UPSILON for (a), to decrease slowly with UPSILON for (c), and to increase slightly with UPSILON for (b). These changes in (E/N)/sub lim/ follow those in k/sub a/ (,UPSILON). A similar behavior is expected for other electronegative gaseous dielectrics in the respective three groups.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA); Tennessee Univ., Knoxville (USA). Dept. of Physics
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 6688086
• Report Number(s): CONF-870516-1; ON: DE87006623
• Resource Relation: Conference: 5. international symposium on gaseous dielectrics, Knoxville, TN, USA, 3 May 1987; Other Information: Paper copy only, copy does not permit microfiche production
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
CARBON FLUORIDES
ELECTRON ATTACHMENT
CROSS SECTIONS
ELECTRICAL FAULTS
ELECTRONEGATIVITY
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GASES
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
CARBON COMPOUNDS
DATA
FLUIDS
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
NUMERICAL DATA
640302* - Atomic
Molecular & Chemical Physics- Atomic & Molecular Properties & Theory
440300 - Miscellaneous Instruments- (-1989)