Electrification in an electric field as a test of the theory of contact charging

• Electrification of insulators by metals is currently explained by uniform carrier injection to a constant depth for each particular material or by the formation of a strictly two-dimensional surface charge. The paper presents calculations concerning a more general model, which includes both alternatives as special cases. An expression for the effective surface charge was obtained for the case where an electric field is applied across the insulator. Electrification experiments with polyethylene and various metals were carried out, and the results were compared to the theoretical predictions. It was found that the assumption of a two-dimensional charge distribution leads to contradiction, and must be rejected. It is shown that the depth of injection in the bulk charge model may be obtained from our experimental data and the formalism developed. The possibility of a non-uniform space-charge density is also discussed.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Den kondenserade materiens fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Condensed Matter Physics (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Static electrification

contact charging

theory

data

injection depth

polyethylene

metals

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)