This article is cited in 3 papers

Electric field enhancement during gap breakdown by ionization waves in nitrogen at elevated pressure

V. F. Tarasenko, A. E. Tel'minov, A. G. Burachenko

Institute of High Current Electronics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk

Abstract: The breakdown of an interelectrode gap filled with nitrogen and some other gases at elevated pres- sure has been studied in an inhomogeneous electric field generated by high-voltage pulses applied to sharp blade electrodes. It is established that the gap breakdown is produced by counterpropagating diffuse plasma jets originating from the two electrodes. The jets merge together and shorten the gap in the axial direction and at angles relative to the electric field lines. The measurements of the laser generation in nitrogen at $\lambda$ = 337.1 nm showed that, at elevated gas pressures, the electric field in the region of breakdown between coun- terpropagating jets is enhanced, while the intensity of the discharge plasma glow in this region is lower than in the other parts of the gap.

Received: 03.11.2010

 English version: Technical Physics Letters, 2011, 37:3, 267–270

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