Abstract
Optical sensors with a Pockels crystal have been applied to the space charge measurement in electrical discharge. By using the techniques, the distribution of potential and electric field in surface discharge can be directly measured.
A new method for measuring the transient potential distribution of surface dishcharge is developed. The measuring system consists of a BGO Pockels crystal, an Ar ion laser, a beam expander, a streak camera and a CCD camera. The potential profile of a surface discharge along a linear path of 50mm in length is measured with high space and time resolution: 0.1mm and 2ns in minimum resolution. Electric fields near the tip of a negative surface streamer is over 30kV/cm. The developing velocity of the streamer initially reaches 108-109cm/s just after its inception and decreases down to 3×106 cm/s while propagating.