What I would do is investigate whether this alpha discharge happens when the arc reaches across a vaccuum.
http://www.quantum-potential.com/ACT%20NASA.pdf On Mon, Jul 21, 2014 at 4:07 AM, Nigel Dyer <l...@thedyers.org.uk> wrote: > > I have built myself a marx generator which produces an output voltage of > the order of 20kV and which can produce a very nice fat spark if the output > electrodes are close enough. I have a conventional geiger counter and I > find it beeps if it is within 5cm of the high voltage output. The distance > suggests alpha particles, but a peice of card makes no difference so I > assume that this is an artefact picked up by the large and abrupt change in > the voltage gradient. Oddly I could not find any reference to this > artefact on the internet. Is this just something that everyone knows but > no-one writes down? > > Nigel > > > > >
