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Re: Capacitor charge, were is it?



Tesla List wrote:
> 
> >From jim.fosse-at-bdt-dot-comSun Oct 27 21:44:50 1996
> Date: Sun, 27 Oct 1996 16:37:18 GMT
> From: Jim Fosse <jim.fosse-at-bdt-dot-com>
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: Re: Capacitor charge, were is it?
> 
> >Date: Sat, 26 Oct 1996 20:29:05 -0700
> >From: pgantt-at-ix-dot-netcom-dot-com
> >To: tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com
> >Subject: Re: Capacitor charge, were is it?
> >
> [snip to save Chip's eyes]
> >>If this is true we could not have a capacitor with a charge that has no
> >>dielectric (vacuum).
> >
> >Since a vacuum is a conductor (i.e vacuum tube), you cannot have a potential
> >difference (charge) in a pure vacuum.  This concept is theoretical.
> >
> [ditto]
>         Sorry,
>                 But a vacuum is NOT a conductor. The conduction in a
> vacuum tube is due to the electrons boiled off the cathode flowing
> through free space toward the positive plate.  If you reverse the
> applied voltage (plate more negative) then no current will flow.  This
> is exactly how a vacuum rectifier tube works.  If the vacuum were
> conducting, then the vacuum rectifier would conduct in both
> directions.
> 
> In other devices, without a thermonic cathode, the electrons are
> ejected/ripped out of the cathode whenever the electric field is
> greater than the work function of the material. That is: when the
> force on the electron from the electric field is greater than the
> force holding it in the material.  This effect is called field
> emission.
> 
>         Regards,
> 
>         jim


Jim, 

I am glad you caught this one, I was about to comment on it myself.  The 
vacuum of space is the best insulator known.

Richard Hull, TCBOR