Harmonic currents in dielectric media—II. The ionized complex

Abstract

The appearance of a characteristic harmonic spectrum in the dielectric current upon application of a high, sinusoidal, field is explained as due to the formation of ionized and/or excited complexes. The field causes the stabilization of short-lived ion clusters initially present, so that a net charge becomes distributed over a relatively large volume within the liquid, charge and energy being transported in the form of excitons. Calculations for the case of benzene under a voltage of 5500 V across a 1 mm gap give the following data for the complex associated with the dominant fifth harmonic: radius 1·13 × 10 −5 cm, containing 4·2 × 10 7 molecules; average of 1·25 electronic charges per complex; mean free path 2·8 × 10 −6 cm; mobility 2·1 × 10 −4 cm 2/V-sec; energy 0·37 eV. Satisfactory agreement is obtained for a number of derived properties of the complex with values calculated by other means, or measured directly.