On the theory of the spark plasma in nanosecond light sources and fast spark-gap switches

In papers on nanosecond gas discharge light sources there has been no theoretical approach capable of describing the dependence of the half-width and the maximum power of the optical pulse on the many parameters which can be varied. On the basis of the theory of Weizel and Rompe (1947) extended to thermal plasmas, the author predicts at least the electric behaviour of the spark discharge in low-inductance circuits normally used for the generation of nanosecond light pulses.