The fundamentals of electric breakdown in gases

Typically a gas is almost a perfect electrical insulator which allows its widespread use in that capacity. When an electric field of sufficient intensity is applied across a gas, it can become an electrical conductor. The transition from the electrically insulating state to the electrically conducting state is called electric breakdown. This paper is a tutorial attempt to review the fundamental physical processes involved in electric breakdown in gases. The basic processes are presented rather than a complete and encyclopedic review. There are several review articles and books to which the reader can refer for amplification^1-5.