The breakdown mechanism of certain triggered spark gaps

Abstract

Experiments designed to investigate the breakdown mechanism of certain triggered spark gaps in air are described. Possible theories of the breakdown mechanism of the trigatron and the thermally triggered spark gap are put forward, based on experimental voltage and time lag to breakdown characteristics, corona measurements, and on optical studies using a photomultiplier. It is shown that the mechanism of breakdown for the two forms of triggered spark gap may be similar and depend, with positive charging polarities, on the movement of positive ions followed by a streamer process, and, in the case of negative charging polarities, on a streamer process only.