Breakdown in the inhomogeneous electric field of a microwave transmit-receive switch

A detailed analytical investigation is made of the threshold for breakdown in microwave transmit-receive switches. The geometry of the keep alive contacts of the switch is modeled as a double cone configuration, and the subsequent diffusion equation for the electron density in the presence of strongly inhomogeneous ionization is solved analytically. Predictions for the breakdown power are found to be in agreement with previously presented experimental results.<
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