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Argon sparkgap - in a vacuum?



It was written:

>> This is very interesting!  My argon gap also leaves the copper a 
>>clean but pink color.  Much like freshly etched copper.  If nitrogen 
>>could be used to make an inert gap, it would provide a gas which 
>>would me much easier to find :-))  I believe that you can burn a 
>>candle or other flammable substance in an enclosed space to remove 
>>the oxygen. 
> 
>This technique (burning something to remove the O2) has been 
>mentioned before. I don't recall if it was in Craggs & Meek or in 
>Fruengel.

So this particular reference thought it was a good idea to get rid of 
the O2 - even though elsewhere it is stated that removing the O2 
drastically increases the erosion rates.  Curiouser and curiouser...

But I have a question:  *IF* the heat of the arc could be removed 
efficiently (no cathode hotspots on the metal to reduce breakdown 
voltage), would a sparkgap operated in a complete vacuum be even better 
than one in Ar, high pressure Ar, SF6, or most anything else?

Just wondering and thinking.  I suppose an arc between two plates in a 
vacuum doesn't involve any ionization process because there's nothing to 
ionize! :)  If so - would having hot metallic surfaces even change the 
breakdown voltage, ie, cause a "power-arc out" of a gap operated in a 
vacuum?

Hmm - I'm not a tube person, but it seems like having hot metal does 
something for a gap in a vacuum - since HV rectifier tubes (and x-ray 
tubes) usually have a heated cathode...  Comments?

-Bill



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