The effect of tip curvature on the prebreakdown streamer structure in cyclohexane

In this paper, the effect of tip curvature on the generation and propagation of prebreakdown density change streamer in cyclohexane was investigated. The streamer inception voltage increased with tip curvature, which was higher for a positive point than a negative one. The initial structure of the streamer was a single filament for both polarities in cyclohexane. For a negative point, the streamer structure changed from sphere to hemisphere, pagoda and bush-like form with increasing tip curvature and applied voltage. A slim channel connecting the streamer with needle tip was clearly observed for tip radii > 5 mu m, while it was not for those < 3 mu m. For positive streamers, on the other hand, it changed from slow bush-like form to fast filamentary with increasing tip curvature and applied voltage. Both magnitude and propagating speed of the streamer at its inception voltage increased with a tip curvature. After the growth stopped, they broke up into small bubbles and contracted with damped oscillation. From the spatial distribution of the field strength between the point and plane calculated by the finite element method, it was found that there exists a specific distance from the tip where the field strength is equal under any tip radii used in this study for both polarities. This distance and field strength may considered to be the minimum length and field for an electron avalanche in liquid.