Laws governing dielectric relaxation

Abstract

A notional experiment has previously been described concerning the current decay curves in two identical dielectric specimens, each previously subjected for a long period to a constant electric field, and short-circuited at different times, the specimen subjected to the higher field being short-circuited first. If the polarisation mechanism exhibits a distribution of relaxation times, the current decay curves may cross over each other; if on the other hand the mechanism is such that the current decay obeys a t-n law, then the curves will certainly cross over. Such a cross-over gives rise to certain apparent conceptual difficulties which are easily dealt with if a distribution of relaxation times is postulated, but otherwise remain to be explained.