Relation between the distribution of initiation sites of a discharge and the field nonuniformity at an electrode

The connection between the field nonuniformity at an electrode and the distribution of discharge initiation sites over its surface is described. The results of experiments on the breakdown of transformer oil in the cone-plane system of electrodes is analyzed within the framework of a multifractal model of the charge distribution. The conclusion given in [1] that the regions with the maximum local field strength are not always the most probable sites for initiation of a discharge was experimentally confirmed. We observed the theoretically predicted transition of the discharge initiation sites at sharp points on the surface of a cone. For electrodes of stainless steel and transformer oil a value of the index relates the probability of initiation of a discharge to the local field strength was determined.