New investigations of the `early streamer emission´ principle and reply

N.L. Alien and J.C. Evans have presented a new experimental investigation regarding the physical behaviour of´early streamer emission´ (ESE) devices (2000). The authors addressed a most important issue and succeeded in performing a most complex experiment. Complex experimental arrangements require care and clarity in the presentation of the experimental results. Two remarks are raised regarding the design of the experiment and the interpretation of the results. The remarks are based on author´s own experimental work and numerical simulations of a similar arrangement, namely the case when a high-ohmic series resistance inhibits the discharge. The aim ot the remarks is to contribute to the understanding of how and to what extent ESE devices differ from ordinary Franklin rods in general and to the appropriate interpretation of the results by Alien and Evans in particular. The reply of the N.L. Alien and J.C. Evans is appended