Abstracts of Bell System Technical Papers Not Published in This Journal (01 November 1952)

A description is given of a system made up of experimental electrodes and an oscilloscope by means of which the potential across the electrodes can be recorded with a time resolution of about 10~9 sec. and a potential sensitivity of 1-trace width per volt. The closure of the electrodes to produce a short arc is synchronized with the oscilloscope sweep so that the beginning of the arc is photographed. As an arc starts the potential across the electrodes decreases more or less gradually from the applied voltage to a steady value characteristic of the metal of the electrodes. 

The course of this change is extremely variable as is also the time over which the change is spread. The average value of the time appears to * Certain of these papers are available as Bell System Monographs and may be obtained on request to the Publication Department, Bell Telephone Laboratories, Inc., 463 West Street, New York 14, N. Y. For papers available in this form, the monograph number is given in parentheses following the date of publication, and this number should be given in all requests. 

1 Bell Telephone Laboratories 1250 ABSTRACTS OF TECHNICAL ARTICLES 1251 vary with circuit inductance and with the nature of the electrode surfaces. For inactive silver surfaces and an inductance of 0.10 nh the average value of the time is about 0.007 n sec., and for active surfaces and the same inductance 0.011 n sec. For active surfaces and an inductance of 5 nh the average valu< of the time is 0.02 n sec.