The time dependence of the temperature of an electron of a low-pressure discharge for a change in the voltage of the source

Abstract

If a variable periodic or non-periodic electric current passes through a gas discharge there is a certain phase difference between this current and the corresponding voltage on the electrodes. The magnitude of this phase difference is dependent both on the conditions existing inside the discharge and on the external electric circuit. It is obvious that apart from the shape of the tube and the type and pressure of the neutral gas, the behaviour of the discharge will be determined by the concentration and temperature of the electrons and by the following external conditions: the voltage of the source and the character of its dependence, and the stabilising resistance or impedance. In this paper a theoretical study is made of the change in temperature and concentration of electrons at a glow discharge, stabilised by ohmic resistance, as a function of the change in voltage of the source.