Static phenomena at the charged surface of liquid hydrogen

Evolution of the shape of the equipotentially charged surface of the liquid hydrogen layer covering the lower plate of a horizontally arranged flat di ode in increasing external stretching electric fields has been studied expe rimentally for the first time. Reconstruction of a flat charged surface (fo rmation of a stationary hump) at voltages higher than a certain critical va lue U-c1 is observed under conditions of total compensation of the electric field in the bulk of the liquid by a surface charge. It is shown that the transition of the flat charged surface to the reconstructed state is a phas e transition close to a second-order transition. The height of the hump is found to increase with voltage, the reconstructed surface loses its ability at a voltage U-c2>1.2U(c1), and a streamed discharge is observed. Evolutio n of the shape of a charged droplet of constant volume suspended from the u pper plate of a diode is studied with increasing electric field under the c onditions when the forces of gravity and stretching electric field act in t he same direction. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S1063-777X(99)0 0204-2].