Time chararacteristics of the vacuum breakdown under impulse stress

The model of the explosive electron emission presents a good explanation for the complete development of a vacuum breakdown. Major aspects are the delay time and the fall time of the voltage collapse with their dependencies on gap spacing and residual gas pressure. Some simple mathematical expressions present a realistic description of the vacuum breakdown by the use of empirical derived correction factors. Measurements with steep fronted and lightning impulse voltages are in good agreement with the results of numeric investigations according to the micro explosion model.