Fields radiated by electrostatic discharges

TLDR

The study examines electrostatic discharge (ESD) fields both analytically and experimentally. A simple dipole model of an ESD spark is developed to predict radiated fields. Measurements show ESD fields exceeding 150 V/m at 1.5 m for brief nanosecond bursts, especially below 6 kV, and the dipole model agrees fairly with experiment, enabling predictions of near‑field ESD fields where measurements are lacking.

Abstract

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) fields are examined both analytically and experimentally. Measurements indicate that the electric fields can be quite significant (>or=150 V/m at a distance at 1.5 m, for example) for short periods of time (a few nanoseconds), particularly for relatively low-voltage events (<or=6 kV). A relatively simple dipole model for an ESD spark is developed and used to predict the radiated fields. The agreement between theory and experiment is fair. The model may be used to predict ESD fields for a wide range of possible configurations, particularly in the near-field zone where no measurements are presently available.<<ETX>>