190 ILLINOIS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 
ON THE INITIAL CONDITIONS OF THE CORONA 
DISCHARGE 
ABSTRACT 
JACOB KUNz, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
There was first given a description of the numerous phenom- 
ena which are connected with direct current corona. The 
difference between positive and negative electricity appears 
in electrical, optical, mechanical and chemical effects. A new 
attempt at an explanation of some of the relations disclosed by 
experiments has been made. Relations between the critical 
electric force at the surface of the wire, the pressure of the air 
and the radius of the wire have been obtained. The con- 
stants in these relations are different for the positive and the 
negative wire. These constants have been assumed the same 
for both polarities in the previous theories by Townsend and 
Davis. Townsend's theory of collision moreover is based on 
experiments at low pressure, while the formula, relating to 
pressure, radius and critical force in the corona holds only for 
high pressures. The principle of conservation of energy has 
been applied to the ionization pressure and it is predicted that 
over a certain range the current should be directly propor- 
tional to the pressure increase. 
This paper has been published in the Physical Review, Vol. 
VIII, July, 1916. 
