Gas breakdown and dynamics of the discharge maintained by a powerful terahertz-band radiation

Results of the experimental investigation of the gas discharge in the beams of the powerful terahertz radiation are presented. Study of the self-sustained and initiated discharges by using the radiation of pulsed gyrotron (developed in IAP RAS) with frequency value of 40kW@0.67 THz (20 μs pulse length) was made in the wide range of pressures (3·10
^-3
-1500 Torr) in different gases (argon, krypton, xenon, nitrogen).