Static Probe for Electrostatic Field Measurement in the Presence of Space Charge

Abstract

The conduction current to a probe incorporated into an electrode is proportional to the strength of the charge-carrier drift field; this current is modulated by a bias voltage applied betwen the probe and the electrode. The current/bias-voltage probe characteristics are described which have been derived from computation of the bias field distribution. From these design data the probe can be used to determine the strength of an unknown carrier drift field; an inherent self-verification capability is a feature of the technique. Examples of applications to direct-current point-plane corona are given.