The formative time delay and electron avalanche number distributions for multielectron initiation of streamer breakdown

Abstract

Electron avalanche statistics were mainly studied with a single electron initiation and there was no mathematical transition reported to the formative time delay distribution. This paper deals with the transition from the electron avalanche number distribution to the formative time delay distribution for multielectron initiation and streamer breakdown mechanism. The goal of the research is a detailed analysis of the formative time delay of electrical breakdown for different applications, such as spark counters, resistive plate chambers, gas-discharge switches, and high voltage systems with gas as an insulator. The electron avalanche number distribution for multielectron initiation is described by negative binomial distribution (NBD). Regarding the newly derived formative time delay distribution, when the number of initiating electrons $k$ is small, the formative time delay distributions are asymmetric with the pronounced right tail. With increasing $k$, the formative time distributions shift to the shorter formative times and become narrower and higher, more symmetric and Gauss-like. As statistical tests show, for $k\gtrsim 20$ the hypothesis that the formative time delay distributions are Gaussians cannot be rejected. As illustrations, the formative time delay distributions in neon and air at low reduced electric field are shown and briefly discussed. The distributions for methylal, ether and methane are presented in order to compare the estimated distribution parameters with available experimental data and to model the measured distributions.