ON THE IMPULSE ELECTRICAL BREAKDOWN OF CENTIMETER VACUUM GAPS.

Prebreakdown conduction, discharge radiation in the visible spectral region, and vacuum gap breakdown voltage in pulses of up to 1. 5 MV are discussed. Experiments were carried out in a technical vacuum using large area electrodes with a spacing of 60 mm. It is felt that the similarity between centimeter gap breakdown with large area electrodes in a technical vacuum and breakdown in millimeter gaps when using a pointed cathode makes it possible to explain the mechanism of breakdown initiation by referring to the phenomenon of explosive electron emission. The mechanisms of the discharge initial stage evolution in the large vacuum gaps are discussed.