High Electrostatic Potential Research Articles

Electrostatic Redshift

IN his recent book Relativity Reexamined the late Leon Brillouin presents an interesting discussion of the problem of the interpretation of potential energy in special relativity theory1. He considers the radiation characteristics of an atom in a region of high electrostatic potential (for example, in the dome of an electrostatic accelerator) as compared with one at zero potential and points out the reasons why one should expect the spectral characteristics to be the same. Brillouin then cryptically mentions that these arguments are empirically verified. Presumably, he refers to the experiments of Kennedy and Thorndike2 and Drill3 in which an electrostatic analogue of the gravitational redshift was sought. Neither Kennedy and Thorndike nor Drill attempted to deduce theoretically the quantitative prediction of general relativity theory for the electrostatic redshift; rather, they appear to have proceeded in a purely experimental/intuitional fashion. In order to show that their null result was to be expected and that the electrostatic redshift is inaccessible even with present techniques, we now give a brief derivation of the general relativistic prediction for this effect.

Electrostatic Potential Generated by Rockets on Vehicles in Space

Investigators have reported the existence of electric current in the exhaust plumes of rocket engines and have speculated that this current could generate a sufficiently high electrostatic potential on vehicles in space to interfere with or damage electronic subsystems or instrumentation. This paper identifies the source of the observed current, calculates its magnitude as a function of the engine parameters, and demonstrates that the rocket plume itself can discharge a vehicle in space and prevent buildup of dangerous potentials.

Ion transport in solids under conditions which include large electric fields

A transport equation is proposed in which the local ion flux density is represented as a function of the local electrostatic potential and concentration gradients and includes the case of high electrostatic potential gradients. The equation is ‘derived’ mainly by recourse to phenomenological considerations, in that it represents the simplest equation which satisfies certain necessary conditions. Previous attempts to extend the ion transport equation to cover the case of concurrent concentration gradients and large electrostatic potential gradients are shown to have led to an incorrect result in that the derived equations failed to satisfy the necessary condition that for zero local electrochemical potential gradient, the local flux density must also be zero. For homogeneous field and steady-state transport conditions, the proposed transport equation leads to a result identical to that obtained by Fromhold and Cook who applied a discrete lattice model to the same conditions. The meaning of effective field strength and effective charge associated with the kinetics of defect migration is examined in some detail. It is concluded that whenever the macroscopic electric field (or Maxwell field) is employed, the charge parameter appropriate for kinetic considerations within the realm of validity of the linear transport equations is simply the charge carried by the defect (i.e. the ‘valence charge’) independent of whether or not bonding is partially covalent and/or extensive dielectric polarization occurs. Even for high field conditions, where the ion flux varies with field strength in a non linear fashion, the so called charge-activation distance product is simply the valence charge times the zero field activation distance, for a symmetrical diffusion barrier. The case of transport in the homogeneous field approximation is considered, particularly in relation to the growth of thin oxide films on metals.