Current characteristics of barrier discharges in inert gases (Ar,Kr, Xe)

The current characteristics of barrier discharges in inert gases (Xe, Kr, and Ar) are compared. It is shown that the shape of the current curve (the number of peaks and their amplitudes) depends on the kind of gas (breakdown voltage) and the frequency of the sinusoidal supply voltage; as the frequency of the voltage decreases, the number of breakdowns tends to increase. It is found that, under the experimental conditions (P = 300 Torr, d = 4 mm), the amplitude of the discharge current in Xe is two to three times higher, its time is tenfold shorter, and the diameter of the discharge channel is five to ten times smaller compared to other inert gases. These differences can be explained by a considerable difference of the transfer coefficients in Xe from those in Ar and Kr.