Electron drift velocity determination in air

Summary form only given. We have determined the electron drift velocity /spl upsi//sub dr/ from the location of the turning points of the diffusion-drift branch of RF breakdown curves. As is known at these points the electron displacement amplitude in the RF field A=eE/(m/spl upsi//sub en//spl omega/) (v/sub en/ is the effective electron-neutral collision frequency, /spl omega/=2/spl pi/f) is equal to one half of the electrode spacing L. At the same time A=v/sub dr///spl omega/, therefore one finds easily the function v/sub dr/(E/p) from measured breakdown curves. RF frequency f=13.56 MHz.