Investigation of pulsed high current gas discharges by high speed photography

Abstract

High speed (10⁶ frames/sec) photographic data on pulsed high energy gas discharges in deuterium and some of the inert gases have been combined with oscillograms of current and voltage to give a qualitative description of the basic processes occurring in the initial stages of a high current discharge. The experimental results confirm the basic conclusions of the inertial theory of plasma constriction worked out by Leontovich and Osovets.