Theory of Temporal Growth of Ionization between Parallel Plates in the Inert Gases

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Abstract
It has been suggested that, in addition to the usual secondary ionization processes due to the action on the cathode of positive ions and undelayed radiation, a number of other secondary and collisional processes must be taken into account in the rare gases. These processes include the conversion of atomic ions into molecular ions, metastable atoms into metastable molecules, and the transition of atoms from metastable and resonant states with production of undelayed photons. Moreover, it has been suggested that the transfer of resonant photons through the gas takes place in accordance with the Holstein-Biberman theory, and also that delayed radiation (that is, radiation from excited states which have a long lifetime) may be of importance. On the assumption that all these processes are acting, formulae are derived in the present paper for the current growth, between parallel plates, due to specified causes of experimental interest, such as an externally generated cathode electron current of given strength, maintained since time zero, or the liberation of a single electron at time zero. The procedure by which these formulae are derived is general, and is not confined to the particular processes enumerated above.

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