Electric fields coupled with ion space charge. Part 1: measurements

In order to obtain a detailed understanding of the particle charging processes occurring in a corona charging system, information on local charging conditions with respect to ion space charge is essential, especially in arrangements with highly inhomogeneous charging conditions. To obtain information on such local electrical data, spatially resolved measurements of space potential, field strength and ion flux were performed in a point-plane arrangement, which serves as a simplified model of an inhomogeneous configuration. Applicability and limitations of an invasive current probe technique were investigated in different spatial regions of the discharge set-up. The resulting local data can be used for comparison with numerical simulations.