Microscopic scenarios for implementing a dynamic model of electric breakdown in a solid insulation system

Microscopic scenarios for electric tree initiation and propagation are developed for the case where electric breakdown occurs in a thick, homogeneous solid dielectric due to the application of a single, steep-fronted impulse. The scenarios treat the electric tree as a high-temperature, high-conductivity, gaseous region that is formed by rapid, localized, energetic dissociation of the dielectric. The scenarios provide perspective on the processes, time scale, roles of geometry and space charge, and degree of localization, thereby providing guidance for modeling electric breakdown in solids