Corona discharge
In electricity, a corona discharge is an electrical discharge brought on by the ionization of a fluid surrounding a conductor that is electrically charged. Spontaneous corona discharges occur naturally in high-voltage systems unless care is taken to limit the electric field strength. The corona will occur when the strength (potential gradient) of the electric field around a conductor is high enough to form a conductive region, but not high enough to cause electrical breakdown or arcing to nearby objects. It is often seen as a bluish (or other color) glow in the air adjacent to pointed metal conductors carrying high voltages, and emits light by the same property as a gas discharge lamp.
The ionized gas of a corona is chemically active. In air, this generates gases such as ozone (O3) and nitrogen oxide (NO), and in turn nitric oxide (NO2), and thus nitric acid if water vapor is present. Ozone is intentionally created this way in an ozone generator, otherwise, these highly corrosive substances are objectionable or hazardous, and are undesirable where they waste power in electrical systems. Controlled corona discharges are used in a variety of filtration, printing, and other processes.
