Abstract. The validity of actinometry to measure N and H atoms in nitrogen-hydrogen direct current (dc) glow discharges was investigated. The experiments were conducted in positive columns of dc glow discharges, in mixtures of N 2 -xH 2 , where x varies from zero to one, pressures between 133.33 and 533.32 Pa and discharge currents from 1 to 50 mA. The electric fields were measured by electric probes (17 V cm −1 < E < 32 V cm −1 ), and the gas temperatures (490 K < T g < 910 K) were deduced from the rotational transitions of molecular-band systems. The actinometry was performed using argon as the actinometer gas and compared with laser induced fluorescence measurements of ground-state atoms, in order to establish the limits of the validity of actinometry. A theoretical approach was used in order to interpret the behaviour of the emission lines. In nitrogen-hydrogen positive columns, the actinometry method indicated the correct behaviour of the N atoms density in the range of zero to one for x and for H atoms in the region from x = 0 to x = 0.2.

Triggered breakdown in hollow cathode discharges in geometries similar to those used for pseudospark switches and pseudospark pulsed electron beams has been investigated experimentally and with a two-dimensional model previously developed. A systematic study of the influence of the discharge conditions (applied voltage and pressure), geometry, and trigger conditions (trigger intensity and position) on the time to breakdown in helium is presented, and some data are also shown for argon. Excellent qualitative agreement is found between the model predictions and the experimental results. The relation between the time to breakdown and the geometrical distribution of injected charge is discussed, and the understanding gained from these model results is used to suggest guidelines for trigger optimization. Conditions wherein significant oscillations in the current-a "current quenching" effect-are observed in the prebreakdown current wave form are discussed. 0 1995 American Institute of Physics.

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