[TCML] STRIATIONS

[Ed Phillips]

    Striations in the discharge between two electrodes can be seen 
easily at some gas pressures and are a rough measure of the pressure.  
I've observed them often enough and think they are most visible when the 
pressure is still over a mm.  Set up a discharge tube and a vacuum pump 
and observe them as the pressure goes down.  Put a pinch clamp on the 
tube to the pump and you can hold the pressure and observe at your leisure.

    Every guy playing with TC's and HV in general should also have a 
vacuum pump available as there are lots of interesting visual 
experiments to be run.  Even a converted rotary AC or refrigerator pump 
is plenty good enough to get down into this pressure range.

Ed