Abstract

Before discussing the high voltage spark as a source for spectroscopic excitation, let us define what we mean by a spark. A spark is a transient discharge across a gap between two electrodes with the emission of light and - usually - sound. The discharge will occur when the voltage across the gap exceeds a certain sparking voltage whose value depends upon the electrode spacing and the pressure and kind of gas in the gap. For air at atmospheric pressure this voltage is about 30,000 volts for each centimeter of gap.

Electrode Phenomena in a High Current 20-Nanosecond Spark

Heinz Fischer and C. C. Gallagher
Appl. Opt. 6(12) 2176-2178 (1967)

Turbulent Eddies in High Density Spark Channels in Helium

Heinz Fischer and Karlheinz Schönbach
Appl. Opt. 7(2) 311-314 (1968)

Explosive Anode Erosion in High Current Sparks

K. Schönbach and H. Fischer
Appl. Opt. 9(7) 1695-1697 (1970)

Emission Characteristics of Vacuum Spark Discharges

J. C. Wahr, W. W. McCormick, and R. A. Sawyer
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 43(3) 151-156 (1953)

Vacuum Ultraviolet Emission from High Density Spark Discharges in Argon and Helium

Lothar Michel and Heinz Fischer
Appl. Opt. 11(4) 899-906 (1972)