Theoretical study of the initial stage of sub-nanosecond pulsed breakdown in liquid dielectrics

Abstract

This paper presents a simple theoretical analysis of the initial stage of a sub-nanosecond pulsed high-voltage breakdown in liquid dielectrics. We show that a rapid breakdown is related to a rupture in the continuity of fluid induced by the electrostrictive forces in the inhomogeneous electric field in the vicinity of a needle electrode.