Triggering and guiding leader discharges using a plasma channel created by an ultrashort laser pulse
Comtois, D. ; Chien, C. Y. ; Desparois, A. ; Génin, F. ; Jarry, G. ; Johnston, T. W. ; Kieffer, J.-C. ; La Fontaine, B. ; Martin, F. ; Mawassi, R. ; Pépin, H. ; Rizk, F. A. M. ; Vidal, F.
Woodbury, NY : American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Published 2000
Woodbury, NY : American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Published 2000
| ISSN: |
1077-3118
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|---|---|
| Source: |
AIP Digital Archive
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| Topics: |
Physics
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| Notes: |
In a 2.8 m positive rod–plane air gap, we have studied how a plasma channel produced by focusing a 200 mJ ultrashort laser beam is able to trigger and guide a leader discharge. We have observed that the plasma channel allowed the lowering of the leader inception voltage by 50% and the guiding of the leader propagation on a distance of up to 2.3 m, with a tenfold increase of its speed. This led to an effective 40% reduction of the breakdown voltage. For the conditions studied here, the laser energy per unit length required to guide a leader is between 60 and 100 mJ/m. © 2000 American Institute of Physics.
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| Type of Medium: |
Electronic Resource
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| URL: |