Abstract
ALTHOUGH the mechanism of the electric breakdown of atomic and molecular gases at low pressure is well understood1, most investigations have been confined to gases in the virgin state—that is, when the atoms or molecules are in potential energy states corresponding to the ambient temperature and pressure. However, the collision processes involved are substantially altered if the gas contains species with large potential energy, such as excited atoms or molecules at room temperature.
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VON ENGEL, A., VIDAUD, P. Electric Breakdown in Non-virgin Gases. Nature 209, 1345 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1038/2091345a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/2091345a0
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