The Electrical Breakdown Detection (ebd) interface (), found under the Plasma branch (), estimates the likelihood that electrical breakdown will occur between electrically excited and grounded surfaces. The electric field is typically computed via an Electrostatics or Electric Currents interface in a separate study. This interface integrates the Townsend growth coefficient along electric field lines by releasing tracer particles from cathode surfaces.

When this physics interface is added, these default nodes are also added to the Model Builder: Electrical Breakdown Detection and Wall (the default boundary condition). Note that no initial values are required in this physics interface. Then, from the Physics toolbar, add other nodes that implement, for example, boundary conditions for the cathode. You can also right-click the Electrical Breakdown Detection node to select physics features from the context menu. As a minimum requirement, a Cathode node must be added to the model, and at least one boundary must be selected for it.

The Label is the default physics interface name.

The Name is used primarily as a scope prefix for variables defined by the physics interface. Refer to such physics interface variables in expressions using the pattern <name>.<variable_name>. In order to distinguish between variables belonging to different physics interfaces, the name string must be unique. Only letters, numbers, and underscores (_) are permitted in the Name field. The first character must be a letter.

The default Name (for the first physics interface in the model) is ebd.

To store additional information about the trajectories of the test particles as they follow the electric field lines, activate Store particle status data, which creates additional postprocessing variables containing information about whether the test particles have reached a target surface, or are still in the modeling domain. The option Store particle release statistics can be used to keep track of which test particles were released by a particular Cathode feature.

The dependent variables (field variables) are the Particle Position, which consists of 3 components (in 3D). The name can be changed but the names of fields and dependent variables must be unique within a model.