Electromagnetic Radiation of a Gas Discharge Arising when Separating Two Dielectrics

Electromagnetic radiation accompanying the breaking of contact between polymer films (such as cellulose esters, polyvinylchloride, and rubber), the surface of dielectrics (such as glass, polyethyleneterephthalate), and a conductor (e.g., steel) in both the visible and radio-frequency ranges is studied. The experiments were conducted at room temperature within the pressure range of 10-2 torr up to 1 atm. The experiments have shown that glow and radio-frequency radiation pulses are produced simultaneously and have the same duration (about 10-3-10-4 s). The radio-frequency radiation intensity depends upon the kind and pressure of the surrounding gaseous medium. The intensity of the radio-frequency radiation and the glow depends upon the nature of the components of an adhesion pair and the rate of the contact breaking.