Effects of irradiation on the electric strength of air

It should be stated that these findings do not terminate work on the project. At the present time efforts are being made to obtain a pulse generator giving pulses of less than a microsecond length. It is planned to repeat the preceding experiments using this pulse generator in order to determine the effect of much shorter times on the statistical availability of electrons for precipitating breakdowns. In addition, experiments designed to localize the source of the increasing trend within the groups of breakdowns are being planned. The above experiments will be repeated changing the atmosphere between the electrodes after each breakdown in order to determine how much, if any, of the rising trend is due to the atmosphere between the electrodes. It is also planned to repeat these experiments in an inert atmosphere, such as helium, in order to determine how much, if any, of the rising trend is due to the corrosion and pitting of the electrodes.