Analysis method, program for performing the method, and information processing apparatus

1. An analysis method of analyzing a discharge phenomenon in an information processing apparatus having a readable-writable memory, the method comprising:

calculating differences in potential between nodes on a first surface of a meshed simulation model and the corresponding nodes on a second surface thereof based on a predetermined amount of charge of each node before the discharge and the permittivity of each element of the simulation model;

storing information concerning a pair of nodes having the difference in potential which exceeds a Paschen voltage determined from the distance between the nodes, among the calculated differences in potential, wherein the information is stored in the readable-writable memory of the information processing apparatus; and

analyzing an amount of charge that is moved due to the discharge and electric potential distribution after the discharge based on the stored information concerning the pair of nodes and the amount of charge of each node before the discharge and storing the analyzed amount of charge and the electric potential distribution.

2. The analysis method according to claim 1 ,

wherein, when the first surface of the simulation model is a pointed member, differences in potential between nodes of the pointed member and the corresponding nodes on the second surface are calculated, and information concerning a pair of nodes having the difference in potential exceeding a voltage on a gap-length dependent curve of a predetermined discharge starting voltage is stored.

3. The analysis method according to claim 1 ,

wherein, when the simulation model has charged particles at arbitrary positions on the first and second surfaces, nodes on the surfaces of the particles are included in targets for the calculation of the difference in potential.

4. The analysis method according to claim 3 ,

wherein part of the charge of the particles is allocated to the nodes on the surfaces of the particles as the charge of the nodes.

5. The analysis method according to claim 1 ,

wherein nodes on the second surface, the nodes being within a predetermined angle with respect to the normal of the first surface, are included in targets for the calculation of the difference in potential.

6. The analysis method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the polarization in a steady state of the meshed simulation model of the information processing apparatus is calculated for every element,

wherein the polarization at a time t+Δ is calculated based on the calculated polarization in the steady state and the polarization at a time t that has elapsed since the time to start applying a voltage, and

wherein the amount of charge for every node is calculated based on the electric potential distribution calculated from the calculated polarization at the time t+Δt.

7. An information processing apparatus of analyzing a discharge phenomenon, the information processing apparatus comprising:

a control unit calculating differences in potential between nodes on a first surface of a meshed simulation model and the corresponding nodes on a second surface thereof based on a predetermined amount of charge of each node before the discharge and the permittivity of each element of the simulation model; and

a memory storing information concerning a pair of nodes having the difference in potential which exceeds a Paschen voltage determined from the distance between the nodes, among the calculated differences in potential,

wherein the control unit analyzes an amount of charge that is moved due to the discharge and electric potential distribution after the discharge based on the information concerning the pair of nodes, stored in the memory, and the amount of charge of each node before the discharge, and stores the analyzed amount of charge and the electric potential distribution in the memory.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7 ,

wherein, when the first surface of the simulation model is a pointed member, the control unit calculates differences in potential between nodes of the pointed member and the corresponding nodes on the second surface, and stores information concerning a pair of nodes having the difference in potential exceeding a voltage on a gap-length dependent curve of a predetermined discharge starting voltage in the memory.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7 ,

wherein, when the simulation model has charged particles at arbitrary positions on the first and second surfaces, the control unit includes nodes on the surfaces of the particles in targets for the calculation of the difference in potential.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9 ,

wherein the control unit allocates part of the charge of the particles to the nodes on the surfaces of the particles as the charge of the nodes.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7 ,

wherein the control unit includes nodes on the second surface, the nodes being within a predetermined angle with respect to the normal of the first surface, in targets for the calculation of the difference in potential.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7 ,

wherein the control unit calculates the polarization in a steady state of the meshed simulation model of the information processing apparatus for every element,

wherein the control unit calculates the polarization at a time t+Δ based on the calculated polarization in the steady state and the polarization at a time t that has elapsed since the time to start applying a voltage, and

wherein the control unit calculates the amount of charge for every node based on the electric potential distribution calculated from the calculated polarization at the time t+Δt.