Kerr electro-optic measurements of space charge effects in high voltage pulsed propylene carbonate using parallel-plate electrodes

The Kerr electro-optic field mapping technique has been used to study space charge effects in high voltage pulsed propylene carbonate (C₄H₆O₃) using stainless steel parallel-plate electrodes. Measurements presented here were taken using a circular polariscope with aligned polarizers at room temperature (T∼20°C) with average initial electric field strengths of E₀∼52 kV/cm and for measurement times ranging from 10 μs to 1 ms. The light intensity pictures were analyzed along a line in the center of the electrode gap. From the light intensity distribution the electric field and space charge were calculated as a function of position and time. The calculated space charge distributions show both positive and negative charge injections from the electrodes as well as bulk charge dissociation.