Current flow between electrodes of unequal area immersed in a low-gas-pressure plasma

THIS PAPER discusses the effects of applying a voltage between electrodes immersed in a plasma of low-density gas. Attention is focused primarily on the case of two electrodes of highly unequal area with a d-c potential difference of up to approximately 150 volts. The relation of the experimental work to the situations which might exist with a hypersonic vehicle during re-entry into the earth´s atmosphere has been emphasized.