A finite element method for the determination of space charge distributions in complex geometries

Various techniques for the determination of the space charge distribution are currently used to analyse the behaviour of insulators submitted to high electric fields such as is found near small radius impurities or electrodes. In such geometries it is difficult to determine analytically the field configuration and thus the relation between the measured variables and the space charge distribution. For this reason, a numerical simulation using a finite element method has been developed.