Generation of charged drops of insulating liquids by electrostatic spraying

Development of a new method for the generation of microparticles of controlled size and charge is reported. The method, which is particularly suited for insulating liquids, is to generate stable fine jets through electrostatic spraying. Charge in the liquid is produced by placing a sharp electrode inside the liquid and raising it to a high potential. High electric fields then disrupt the liquid to form fine jets which later break up into small drops. A theoretical explanation of these phenomena is presented and compared with experimental results with a qualitatively good agreement. Among the possible applications of this work is generation of cryogenic droplets for refueling fusion reactors and for laser fusion targets.