On the Streamer Stability Field for a Positive Discharge Propagating along an Ice Surface

The electric field required for a stable propagation of a positive streamer along an ice surface was investigated by measuring the currents associated with the streamer discharge. The influence of the surface properties, namely the existence of water film on the ice surface and the surface contamination, has been analyzed. Results showed that in the presence of an ice surface, except in case of low conductive surface, streamers propagate stably with an external field lower than that generally reported for propagation in air alone (~ 5 kV/cm). For higher contaminated surface streamer stability field was found slightly influenced by the temperature while for lower contaminated surface it decreases significantly with an increase in temperature.