A brief history of gaseous dielectrics research at NIST

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have investigated gaseous dielectrics for more than 20 years. Significant technical accomplishments in this area include a detailed understanding of the physics and chemistry of corona-induced decomposition of SF/sub 6/, the determination of important collisional cross sections for dielectric gases, the development of conditional detection techniques for partial discharges, and assessment of potential replacement gases for SF/sub 6/. These and other research areas will be highlighted in this brief history of gaseous dielectrics research at NIST.