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Re: volume polarization vs. surface charge



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From: Bob Sciamanda <trebor@VELOCITY.NET>
To: PHYS-L@LISTS.NAU.EDU
Subject: Re: volume polarization vs. surface charge
Date: Sun, 7 Mar 1999 1:51 PM


The surface charge due to polarization of a dielectric is,
whether
you
consider it "real" or "virtual", not capable of constituting the
charge
which makes the spark when the capacitor discharges. It isn't
macroscopically mobile.


But the field of such "bound" charges can drive currents in nearby
conductors, ionize air,

Does it ionise the air? The field would have to be very
large for that. I think what goes on there (and leads to
sparks) is a mechanism such as that describe by Chabey and
Sherwood (Electric and Magnetic Interactions, page 79:
cosmic rays produce the odd (transient) free electrons in
the air; the electric field accelerates these; ionization
occurs when accelerated electrons collide with neutral air
molecules; etc, etc

Brian McInnes