Microwave Breakdown of SF6

Breakdown electric field strengths have been measured in four S-band cavities filled with high purity SF6 at room temperature in the approximate pressure range from 0.01 to 200 Torr. Measurements were made for submicrosecond effective pulse widths under essentially `single pulse' conditions, and also under conditions equivalent to continuous wave breakdown. The results are used to calculate an average elastic collision frequency of vc = 1.0 × 1010p sec-1.