Fields radiated by electrostatic discharges

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) fields are examined both analytically and experimentally. Measurements indicate that the electric fields can be quite significant (⩾150 V/m at a distance at 1.5 m, for example) for short periods of time (a few nanoseconds), particularly for relatively low-voltage events (⩽6 kV). A relatively simple dipole model for an ESD spark is developed and used to predict the radiated fields. The agreement between theory and experiment is fair. The model may be used to predict ESD fields for a wide range of possible configurations, particularly in the near-field zone where no measurements are presently available