The morphology and behavior of the water tree

The internal structure of water trees is examined in detail, particularly the nonuniformity of their internal structure. The quantitative space distribution of bouquets and microcavities is given. Based on the fact that the water tree is composed of a number of microcavities filled with liquid, the authors analyze the behavior of water trees, i.e., the dielectric properties of the zone of the water tree and its influence on the distribution of the dielectric field. An interpretation of the development of the water tree is proposed and a possible cause of water-tree-induced breakdown is suggested. >