On the possibility of corona-discharge ignition in the vicinity of a weakly charged drop executing nonlinear vibrations

An analytic expression for the electric-field strength in the vicinity of a charged drop of an electrically conducting liquid is obtained for the case where the initial shape of the drop executing nonlinear vibrations is specified by a virtual excitation of an arbitrary single mode of capillary vibrations. It turns out that, even at small charges (such that the Rayleigh parameter for the drop is equal to one-tenth of the critical value associated with stability against the intrinsic charge), the electric-field strength at the drop surface in the case of an initial excitation of one of high modes is sufficient for the ignition of a corona discharge.