Capillary nanosecond discharge as a tool for study of energy relaxation

Capillary high voltage pulsed nanosecond discharge is suggested as a source of excitation of electronically excited states of atoms and molecules to study the energy relaxation in early afterglow (so called fast gas heating). The results of electrical current through the discharge and of the electric field measurements are presented for moderate pressure (3-500 mbar) discharge in the synthetic air. It is shown that it was possible to reach high reduced electric fields (>500Td), and to maintain these electric fields during tens of nanoseconds. 1