The space charge that surrounds a conductor in corona at 60 cycles

An exploring potential wire was used to locate the radial position and to determine the potential of the space charge that surrounds a conductor in 60–cycle corona. The familiar concentric cylinder set-up was used. The potential of the exploring wire due to the applied voltage and its position in the electric field between the conductor and cylinder was maintained at zero so that the potential on the wire was due only to the presence of the space charge. The cyclic potentials of the exploring wire at various radial distances from the conductor in corona at the center of the cylinder were observed with an electrometer of low capacitance connected through a phase-shifting synchronous contactor to the exploring wire and through its own capacitance to ground. The location of the space charge and the potential it sets up in the electric field in the space surrounding the conductor in corona were thus determined. The paper contains four sections: I — The Problem and Results, II. — Description of the Apparatus Used and the Method of Application, III — Discussion, IV — Conclusions.