Correlation between current waveforms of electrostatic discharges and optical signatures for several selected wavelengths

The temporal variation of the optical intensity at several optical frequencies generated by electrostatic discharges was measured simultaneously with the discharge current waveform. Temporal variation of certain spectral lines closely followed that of the discharge current pulse, suggesting the possibility of accurately inferring some of the properties, such as the rise time, peak value, duration, etc., of the currents of electrostatic discharges without having to measure them directly. At the same time, the temporal variation of some other wavelengths had no resemblance to the shape of the current pulse. A strongly wavelength dependent optical emission in the ultraviolet region, possibly corresponding to pre-breakdown process was also found.