HIGH-CURRENT DIFFUSE DISCHARGE WITH THE EXPLOSIVE CATHODE PROCESS

Quasi-stable glow discharge phase is known to be characteristic for the pulse breakdown of gases by the uniform initiation of initial electrons. The papers [1-3] show that the contraction of the glow discharge can be schematized as follows. At first the cathode spot is formed on account of the cathode instability and of the explosive emission. Then the current density increases in the discharge column against the cathode spot and one can observe a diffuse channel bound to the spot against a background of the glow discharge. The high-conductive contracted spark channe1 germinates along the diffuse channel on the cathode and the anode sides at the third stage. The investigations carried out in noble gases (Ar, Kr, Xe) and in noble gases with small additions of haloid-contained compounds (SF6, CCl4) showed a great number of the cathode spots and diffuse channels to be ignited in the interelectrode volume [4,5]. These channels form a column of a homogenous plasma when mixing. The discharge involved was called as a high-current diffuse discharge (H-C.D.D.). At present there are represented the results on investigations of H-C.D.D.