Summary
A comparison has been made between the Townsend primary ionization coefficient, α, for dry air and for air with humidities typical of those in the atmosphere. α is defined as the number of new electrons produced by an electron per centimeter of drift in a field. A range of field/pressure ratios,E/p 0, of 40 to 100 V (cm torr)−1 was employed. The variation of α with humidity is very small.
Over the range ofE/p 0 from 50 to 100 V (cm torr)−1, the secondary ionization coefficient, γ, of a water surface has been found from sparking potential data to be typically 2×10−4. γ represents the fraction of primary ionizing collisions that ultimately result in the production of additional electrons at the surface.
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Stout, R.R., Dawson, G.A. Primary ionization coefficients for dry and moist air; secondary ionization coefficients for a water surface. PAGEOPH 116, 159–166 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00878990
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00878990