The fundamentals of the pseudospark and its applications

The pseudospark, an axially symmetric gas discharge at low pressures of typically 10 to 100 Pa and high voltages (of some hundred volts up to several hundreds of kilovolts), has become of interest in fast high-power switching, in producing well-pinched high intensity electron or ion beams, and as an X-ray source. The essential features of this type of discharge are described. The results of fast time-resolved spectroscopic investigations and breakdown delay statistics of the pseudospark are discussed.<
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