Initiation of Discharge in Arcs of the Thyratron Type

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Abstract
When a grid overvoltage is applied to a thyratron, the resulting electron current produces positive ions which move back toward the cathode of the tube. Some of these ions are "trapped" in the potential well formed near the cathode by the electron space charge. The "trapped" positive ions diminish the depth of the potential well and thus permit a larger current to be emitted from the cathode. When the number of positive ions "trapped" in the potential well becomes sufficient to decrease the depth of the well to zero, the saturation value of the cathode current is emitted, and the initiation of the discharge is completed. From this model of the initiation of the discharge, an equation for the anode current as a function of time during the initiation of the discharge has been derived. This equation yields current versus time curves which are in good agreement with experiment. From this equation, estimates of the ionization time can be made. The calculations give ionization times of the correct order of magnitude. The calculated ionization times show the experimentally observed dependence upon the grid overvoltage, gas pressure, and anode voltage.

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