Theory of Double Charge Ejection from a Dielectric

Abstract

A new possibility is explored for steady-state current flow at high field strength in a dielectric with blocking electrode contacts. Solutions are given in dimensionless form for a steady state in which the charge carriers arise solely by collision ionization within the dielectric, injection from the electrodes being negligible. This mechanism is referred to as double charge ejection. If electrode emission becomes significant, it is then not possible to give a solution in universal dimensionless form, but a special case is analyzed to show the effect of the space charge on the electrode emission.