THE EFFECTS OF UV RADIATION AND ELE BOM MENT ON THE FLASHOVER GHARAC ALU BASED HIGH VOLTAGE INSULATOR

The effects of UV and electron bombardment on the flashover characteristics of highly stressed alumina insulators in vacuum were investigated as part of a project to improve the performance of high voltage insulators in large particle accelerators at CERN. An experimental system has been developed which allowed photon and electron bombardment of stressed insulator samples under vacuum, in order to investigate the causes and characteristics of insulator flashover, and to identify sample preparations which could improve insulator performance.