Prebreakdown cavities in viscous silicone fluids and their relationship to initiating current pulses

The mechanism of electrical breakdown in liquid dielectrics is slowly being revealed. Two basic processes have been discerned: one is a fast electronic process that occurs within the liquid itself; the other is a much slower process involving the production and growth of a vapour cavity. The authors focus on the fast pulses that are responsible for the initiation of negative point discharges, and on the initial growth of the resulting pre-breakdown vapour cavities