Discharges and mechanoelectrical phenomena in charged glasses

Conclusions In high-resistance solid dielectrics (with resistances of 10¹² · cm or higher, when they are irradiated with electron beams, spontaneous electric discharges are observed while the irradiation is occurring. The discharges occur at defects in the surface and develop in the layer within which the charged particles are distributed.When the charged particles are distributed in the surface or near-surface layer of the dielectric, the discharge may be initiated close to the charged surface by a grounded metal needle, even some time after the irradiation. After long storage and self-dis charge of the surface layer of the irradiated dielectric or compensation of the surface charge, discharge of the charge stored in the depth of the dielectric can occur by scratching the surface or pricking it with a needle. When the charge lies deep inside the dielectric, a brush discharge occurs when a strong shock is applied to the surface of the dielectric using a grounded needle.In all the above cases initiation of an electric discharge in the solid dielectric occurred by mechanoelectrical phenomena of direct conversion of mechanical energy into electrical energy with a high field strength. These phenomena occur in solid dielectrics with a defect structure.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 2, pp. 40–46, February, 1977.