Controlled factorial experiments on high voltage vacuum breakdown

A series of experiments has been designed to study the factors influencing high voltage vacuum breakdown under conditions pertinent to high power tube operation at 100 to 300 kV. The need for this has been generated by present-day requirements for extremely high power radar and communication systems, high energy particle accelerators and ion-propulsion systems. The demand is greatest in components such as vacuum tubes and vacuum capacitors, where high voltage must be insulated by vacuum in small spaces. Therefore, a reliable relation between the hold-off voltage and the factor or factors that affect electrical breakdown in vacuum is needed for design of these components.