Effect of secondary electron emission on subnanosecond breakdown in high-voltage pulse discharge

Abstract

A subnanosecond breakdown in high-voltage pulse discharge is studied in experiment and in kinetic simulations for mid-high pressure in helium. It is shown that the characteristic time of the current growth can be controlled by the secondary electron emission. We test the influence of secondary electron yield on plasma parameters for three types of cathodes made from titanium, silicon carbide and CuAlMg-alloy. By changing the pulse voltage amplitude and gas pressure, the area of existence of subnanosecond breakdown is identified.