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Potential Threats to the Performance of Vacuum-Insulated High-Voltage Devices in a Space Environment

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The Behavior of Systems in the Space Environment

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((NSSE,volume 245))

Abstract

Most instabilities in a high voltage vacuum-insulated gap are believed to stem from parasitic “cold-cathode” electron emission processes. This paper reviews the fundamental surface studies that have established the vital role played by micro-particulate contamination in promoting a “non-metallic” field-induced mechanism that injects electrons into a vacuum gap; it also discusses the technological procedures that can be adopted to limit the problem. The review concludes with a consideration of the specific factors that pose potential threats to the reliable operation of high voltage devices in space.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electronic Engineering and Applied Physics, Aston University, Birmingham, V4 7ET, UK

    R. V. Latham

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  1. R. V. Latham
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C., USA

    Robert N. DeWitt

  2. Strategic Defense Initiative Organization, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C., USA

    Dwight Duston

  3. University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA

    Anthony K. Hyder

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© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Latham, R.V. (1993). Potential Threats to the Performance of Vacuum-Insulated High-Voltage Devices in a Space Environment. In: DeWitt, R.N., Duston, D., Hyder, A.K. (eds) The Behavior of Systems in the Space Environment. NATO ASI Series, vol 245. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2048-7_20

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2048-7_20

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-4907-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-2048-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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