Umair Gaines
Electric discharge is the release and transmission of electricity in an applied electric field through a medium such as a gas. Electric discharge occurs naturally on Earth, such as in lightning strikes. The friction between particles in storm clouds causes a build-up of positive and negative charges, resulting in an explosive electric discharge in the form of lightning. Electric discharge also has a wide range of technological applications, such as in fluorescent lamps, spark gaps in internal combustion engines, and arc welding.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | A process in which a gas is subjected to an electric field, resulting in the acceleration of charged particles, primarily electrons, which transfer energy to the plasma through collisions with heavier particles. |
| Process | The excitation of atomic states in a gaseous medium on passing an electric current through the medium. |
| Natural Examples | Atmospheric lightning, corona discharges. |
| Applications | Detecting ionizing radiation, illustrating the gas spectrum, illumination, voltage regulation, photography, photocopiers, ignition in internal combustion engines, switching heavy currents, protecting electrical apparatus, electric discharge machining |
| Parameters | Frequency, energy of impulses. |
| Types | Townsend discharge, glow discharge, arc discharge |
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What You'll Learn
Electric discharge in fluorescent lamps
Electric discharge is the release and transmission of electricity in an applied electric field through a medium such as a gas. Electric discharge lamps are lighting devices consisting of a transparent container within which a gas is energised by an applied voltage and made to glow.
The development of the fluorescent tube in the 1930s revolutionised the use of electric discharge lamps in interior lighting. The fluorescent lamp emits a neutral white light, and its fluorescence can multiply the lamp's light emission by a hundredfold. This made fluorescent lamps particularly popular in offices, factories, and other work environments.
The functioning of fluorescent lamps relies on the principle of electric discharge. By increasing the lamp's internal operating pressures and temperatures, high-intensity light can be produced. The phosphor radiation spectrum is concentrated in the visible spectral region, appearing smooth with several discrete lines originating from the Hg atoms.
Fluorescent lamps are not the only type of electric discharge lamps. Neon lamps, for example, are also gas-discharge lamps used for illumination and voltage regulation. Other variations include xenon short-arc lamps, sodium vapour lamps, and glow lamps, each with its unique characteristics and applications.
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Electric discharge in lightning
Electric discharge is the release and transmission of electricity in an applied electric field through a medium such as a gas. An example of an electric discharge source is a household fluorescent lamp.
Lightning is a natural phenomenon that is an example of an electric discharge. It is a giant spark of electricity in the atmosphere between clouds, the air, or the ground. It occurs when a region of a cloud acquires an excess electrical charge, either positive or negative, that is sufficient to break down the resistance of the air. This excess charge builds up until the insulating capacity of the air breaks down, resulting in a rapid discharge of electricity that we know as lightning.
Lightning involves a near-instantaneous release of energy on a scale averaging between 200 megajoules and 7 gigajoules. The air around the lightning flash rapidly heats up to temperatures of about 30,000 °C (54,000 °F), causing the air to explode outward. This explosion creates a shock wave and a sudden increase in pressure, resulting in the sound we know as thunder.
There are several types of lightning, including intra-cloud (IC) lightning, cloud-to-cloud (CC) or inter-cloud lightning, and cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning. IC lightning occurs within a single cloud between areas of differing electric potential and is the most frequently occurring type. CC lightning occurs between two separate clouds, while CG lightning occurs between a cloud and the ground and poses the greatest threat to life and property. CG lightning can be either positive or negative, depending on the direction of the conventional electric current between the cloud and the ground. Positive lightning is less common than negative lightning, making up less than 5% of all lightning strikes.
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Electric discharge in arc welding
Electric discharge is the release and transmission of electricity in an applied electric field through a medium such as a gas. Electric arcs are a form of electric discharge with the highest current density. An electric arc is an electrical breakdown of a gas that produces a prolonged electrical discharge.
Arc welding is a type of fusion welding that uses an electric arc to generate heat and join metals. The welding process involves creating an arc between two electrodes, which are initially in contact and then drawn apart. This can be achieved without a high-voltage glow discharge. The current passing through the electrodes increases, and the breakdown voltage of the electrode gap depends on the pressure, distance between electrodes, and type of gas present.
Arc welding can be divided into two main types: non-consumable electrode and consumable electrode. The choice between these methods depends on the material being welded, the equipment used, and the gas employed in the process.
In the case of AC arc welding, a stable arc is achieved by inserting a choke in the supply line, which changes the direction of the electric current and the resulting magnetic field. This rapid change cancels out the effect of arc blow, which is caused by the deflection of the arc due to magnetic fields.
Arc welding produces intense ultraviolet radiation, which can be harmful to observers and cause sunburn. Therefore, it is important to wear protective clothing and observe the process through special dark filters, such as a welding helmet, to shield the eyes from ultraviolet rays.
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Townsend discharge
Electric discharge refers to the excitation of atomic states in a gaseous medium by passing an electric current through it. A common example of an electric-discharge source is a household fluorescent lamp.
In electromagnetism, Townsend discharge, or Townsend avalanche, is an ionization process for gases where free electrons are accelerated by an electric field, collide with gas molecules, and consequently free additional electrons. These electrons are then also accelerated and free even more electrons, resulting in an avalanche multiplication that permits significantly increased electrical conduction through the gas.
The process was named after John Sealy Townsend, who discovered the fundamental ionization mechanism in 1897 at the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge. Townsend's experimental apparatus consisted of planar parallel plates forming two sides of a chamber filled with gas. A direct-current high-voltage source was connected between the plates, with the lower-voltage plate being the cathode and the upper-voltage plate being the anode.
The Townsend discharge occurs when the applied voltage between two electrodes exceeds the self-breakdown voltage by a small percentage. It involves avalanche processes and secondary mechanisms such as gas ionization, secondary electron emission, and photoelectric electron emission. The breakdown can be characterized by the Paschen curve, which relates the separation of the electrodes to the breakdown voltage.
The Townsend discharge is sustained only over a limited range of gas pressure and electric field intensity. The Townsend avalanche can have a large range of current densities, ranging from 10−18 to 10−5 amperes in common gas-filled tubes.
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Relativistic feedback discharge
The relativistic feedback discharge model, proposed by Dwyer, suggests that TGFs are caused by the self-sustained production of runaway electrons, resulting in a rapid burst of gamma rays. This process involves the ionization of air by runaway electrons, leading to the creation of low-energy electrons and ions. The large-scale electric fields are then calculated from the charge motion of these drifting particles. When relativistic feedback is considered, the model demonstrates that bright gamma ray flashes are a consequence of upward +IC lightning in large-scale thundercloud fields.
The mechanism behind relativistic feedback discharge involves the backscattering of gamma rays and positrons from gamma-ray pair production. These backscattered photons propagate to the start of the avalanche region, creating secondary avalanches through various processes such as Compton scattering, photoelectric absorption, and Bhahba scattering. The positrons produced can also run away in the opposite direction of electrons, travelling kilometres before annihilating. If these positrons reach the start of the avalanche region, they can generate additional runaway electrons, further enhancing the feedback effect.
The relativistic feedback discharge model offers valuable insights into the nature of TGFs, including their intensities and pulsing behaviour. It also highlights the importance of electrode effects in interpreting X-ray emissions from laboratory discharges. Furthermore, this model provides a novel understanding of electrical breakdown, as it describes a self-sustained discharge that does not rely on externally supplied particles.
In summary, the relativistic feedback discharge model explains the occurrence of terrestrial gamma ray flashes by considering the self-sustained production of runaway electrons and the subsequent rapid burst of gamma rays. This model contributes to our understanding of the complex interactions between lightning, thunderclouds, and the resulting gamma-ray emissions.
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Frequently asked questions
Electric discharge is the release and transmission of electricity in an applied electric field through a medium such as a gas.
Some examples of electric discharge include lightning, corona discharges (also known as St. Elmo's fire), and neon lamps.
Electric discharge in gases occurs when electric current flows through a gaseous medium due to the ionization of the gas. This can result in the acceleration of charged particles, primarily electrons, which transfer energy to the plasma through collisions with heavier particles. Depending on several factors, the discharge may radiate visible light.
