Distribution of charges in Action at points or Corona discharge

Action at points or Corona discharge

Consider a charged conductor of irregular shape as shown in Figure 1.63 (a).

We know that smaller the radius of curvature, the larger is the charge density. The end of the conductor which has larger curvature (smaller radius) has a large charge accumulation as shown in Figure 1.63 (b).

As a result, the electric field near this edge is very high and it ionizes the surrounding air. The positive ions are repelled at the sharp edge and negative ions are attracted towards the sharper edge. This reduces the total charge of the conductor near the sharp edge. This is called action at points or corona discharge.