OK,
Thanks to those who responded to my seemingly dumb question about why no
carbonization marks exist around tubes which supposedly had an arc-over
in them. Specifically this is in regards to the bent filament helix
phenomena in the 3-500Z's.
So here's a follow up question:
Several people pointed out that you wouldn't get carbon scoring from an
arc because the tube is evacuated and therefore there is nothing that
would cause carbonization (OK, maybe that's not the scientific
explanation, but you know what I mean). However, if there were no gas of
any kind inside the tube, then how did the arc occur? Doesn't an arc
occur when the voltage potential across a gas is so large that the
molecules in the gas break down, turn into a plasma and thereby creat a
low resistance path for current to flow? If there is no gas then why is
one theory called the Gas Discharge Theory or whatever? If there IS some
sort of gas, then isn't it possible that carbonization could occur due to
the arc? Or is it the wrong type of gas (ie: needs to contain carbon)?
Again, it may sound like I am asking old or dumb questions, but I am
relatively new to this group (couple months) and haven't heard all the
answers before. And as I pointed out before, I am not an expert on tubes.
73,
Jon
KE9NA
-------------------------------------
Jon Ogden
KE9NA
http://www.qsl.net/ke9na
"A life lived in fear is a life half lived."
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