V.I. Kristya – Dr.Sc.(Phys.-Math.), Professor, Kaluga branch of the Bauman MSTU

E-mail: kristya@bmstu-kaluga.ru

E.V. Vershinin – Ph.D.(Phys.-Math.), Associate Professor, Kaluga branch of the Bauman MSTU E-mail: yevgeniyv@mail.ru

Myo Thi Ha – Post-graduate Student, Kaluga branch of the Bauman MSTU E-mail: myothiha53@gmail.com

A model of low current gas discharge in flat interelectrode gap under the presence of a thin insulating film on the cathode is developed. It takes into account an influence of field electron emission from the cathode metal substrate into the film, caused by strong electric field existing in it, on discharge characteristics. Dependence of the cathode effective secondary electron emission yield and the discharge ignition voltage on the film emission efficiency equal to the fraction of electrons emitted into the film, which goes out of the film in the discharge volume, is investigated. It is shown that formation of a thin oxide film on the cathode of a gas discharge device can result in a considerable decrease of its discharge ignition voltage.

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