Measurement of the transverse diffusion and Townsend's first ionisation coefficients from the observation of the photon flux produced in a Townsend discharge in molecular hydrogen

The method used to obtain the transport parameters of a Townsend discharge reported by Blevin et al. in 1976 from the observation of the photon flux produced in the discharge has been extended to enable measurements of the transverse diffusion coefficient and Townsend's first ionisation to be made. The results obtained in molecular hydrogen are now reported.