Interaction of a Stream of Dielectric Spheres in an Electric Field in a High Vacuum

The interaction of a stream of dielectric spheres in an electric field in a high vacuum is investigated both theoretically and experimentally. This investigation is motivated by an attempt to detect fractional electric charges which might exist in matter, namely, a search for isolated quarks in matter. The theoretical analysis is intended to pinpoint the basic interaction mechanism by which a stream of dielectric spheres becomes destabilized in an electric field. One important result of this analysis is a suggested method by which the destabilizing forces can be eliminated. The experiments performed are intended to study the behavior of a stream of uniform liquid drops in an electric field in a high vacuum. It is seen from these experiments that the deflections of any two drops in the stream with charges differing by one electronic charge is the same except for the effects of some destabilizing forces.