Analysis of time-dependent characteristics for a pseudospark discharge in air

The time-dependent resistive voltage and resistance of a pseudospark discharge in air are obtained by solving the equivalent circuit equation using the measured values of the discharge current and breakdown voltage. Pulsed, underdamped discharge currents ranging from about 30 to 100 A are investigated experimentally. The gas pressures range from 0.005-0.1 torr. The discharges can be characterized by three phases: initial, quasi-stationary, and relaxation. The quasi-stationary phase occurs near the time of the current maximum. The variations of the resistive pseudospark voltage are similar to those observed in a spark discharge, which can explain the sparklike behavior of a pseudospark discharge. Details of the current-voltage characteristics and resistance are presented