Streak Images of Pulsed Discharge Development at High Overvoltage

Pulsed high-voltage nanosecond discharge dynamics was investigated in wide pressure range with a fast streak camera. Discharge development demonstrated both the low-current phase of a fast ionization wave or a streamer and the high-current transient stage. Transition from low- to high-current phase occurred through a sequence of flashes which developed simultaneously along the length of the discharge gap as phase waves.