Dear Wouter,
please get a book on electric discharges in gases, e.g. Cobine, J.D.:
Gaseous Conductors. New York: Constable & Co., 1958.
And look for Townsend discharge / Paschen curve.

But please remember: Breakdown field does not rise for small
distances but for small products pressure*distance! For small
distances (Mym range), breakdown will not follow Townsend's /
Paschen's effect but field emission effects.

> Date:          Wed, 15 Apr 1998 15:37:18 +0200
> From:          Wouter van der Wijngaart 
> Subject:       Electric breakdown of air
> To:            MEMS@ISI.EDU
> Reply-to:      Wouter van der Wijngaart , mems-
cc@ISI.EDU

> Dear Sirs,
>
> I have been unsuccesfully searching for information on the dielectric
> breakdown field strength of air (gasses in general) at elevated
> pressures (1 -20 bar). The breakdown field rises for very small
> distances, but I could find no quantitative data. Has any of you found
> such ? All references are welcome !
Yours sincerely, Kai Hiltmann

mailto:Kai.Hiltmann@IMIT.Uni-Stuttgart.de    http://www.IMIT.Uni-Stuttgart.de
K. Hiltmann
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D-78052 Villingen-Schwenningen

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