Anode initiated impulse breakdown in water: the dependence on pulse rise time for nanosecond and sub-nanosecond pulses and initiation mechanism based on electrostriction

The effect of the voltage rise time on nanosecond and sub-nanosecond impulse breakdown of distilled water is studied. The dependence of anode initiated streamer inception on this parameter is shown to be more intricate than previously reported, particularly as it relates to mechanisms directly in the liquid phase. Dynamics of the emission phase for sub-nanosecond pulses with 600 ps rise time are presented to enable comparison with previous work on nanosecond initiation features. Schlieren imaging is also used to show the development of optical density perturbations and rarefactions as a result of electrostriction in the liquid which were previously found for nanosecond pulses as well. The mechanism of nanopore generation in the liquid due to fast impulses proposed by Shneider, Pekker and Fridman is used to explain the results.