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Updated: Mar 22, 2026

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Published on: September 30, 2014
Relativistic Feedback Discharges in Dielectric Solids.
Victor P Pasko1, Sebastien Celestin2, Anne Bourdon3
1Penn State University, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA.
Photoelectric feedback processes, previously linked to lightning and gamma-ray flashes, are now shown to generate high-energy X-ray radiation from solid dielectrics on a centimeter scale.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Materials Science
- Atmospheric Science
Background:
- Relativistic runaway electron avalanches and photoelectric feedback are implicated in gamma-ray flashes associated with lightning.
- These phenomena are thought to occur in large-scale atmospheric events.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if photoelectric feedback discharges can be replicated in solid-state dielectric materials.
- To explore the potential of these discharges as novel sources of high-energy X-ray radiation.
Main Methods:
- Experiments were conducted using common solid dielectric materials such as quartz, acrylic, and bismuth germanate.
- The study focused on inducing and observing photoelectric feedback discharges on a centimeter scale.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated that photoelectric feedback discharges can be successfully realized in solid dielectric materials.
- Confirmed that these discharges can generate high-energy X-ray radiation.
Conclusions:
- Photoelectric feedback discharges are not limited to atmospheric phenomena and can occur in solid dielectrics.
- These solid-state discharges represent a new and promising avenue for generating high-energy X-ray sources.
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