Analysis of mechanisms which lead to electrical breakdown in argon using the time delay method

The mechanisms leading to initiation of electrical breakdown in geometrically identical argon-filled tubes at different pressures were investigated by the memory curves. It was shown that the positive ions and metastable states, remaining from the previous discharge, have the dominant role in the initiation of breakdown in early and late afterglow periods, respectively. Contributions to the breakdown of gamma photons from radioactive sources (60Co) and cosmic rays were also analyzed.