Why doesn the current in the ionized channels jump to ground before it reaches the target?
• The current cannot flow to ground because it is surrounded by a strong insulating material, air. Un-ionized air is an excellent electrical insulator (dielectric), as its breakdown potential is about 38,000 volts per centimeter. Also, the recombination time between the liberated electrons and their parent oxygen ions is measured in microseconds. Therefore, the electrons are able to travel only a few nanometers outside the ultraviolet beam before being absorbed, thus preventing the formation of any conductive paths to ground. • Your patent says that the current is only a few milliamps, so why does the voltage have to be so high? • There are two reasons for the very high potential (voltage). The first is to help ionize the air channels, and the second is to insure that the current penetrates the clothing of the target person. • How does photoionization make air electrically conductive? • Photoionization is the process by which particles or wave-packets of electromagnetic energy called p
