Similarities between the initial phase of a transient nonuniform glow discharge in nitrogen and the negative corona Trichel pulse formation in an electronegative gas

Measurements have been made of the initial stage of breakdown in a short negative point-to-plane gap in nitrogen at pressures of 50–750 Torr and at various overvoltages. The transient glow discharge regime was found to be preceded by a peaked current signal of conspicuous similarity to the Trichel pulse rise and its initial decay in an electronegative gas.