ABSTRACT
The discharge structure for the case of coated electrodes is the same as for naked electrodes. The γ-discharge starts exactly as the α-discharge, but a sheath breakdown occurs right in the second cycle, when the plasma shifts far away from the electrode. An radio-frequency (RF) discharge similar to the abnormal glow discharge can sometimes be produced in the case of even a single small electrode. A steady RF arc-type discharge commonly arises between graphite or rough copper electrodes. An RF torch normally arises in air near pointed metallic objects under high RF voltage. Transition voltage increases with increasing pressure and decreasing frequency. Transition current slightly reduces as the pressure grows and strongly rises with frequency. Experimental data and numerical simulation evidence that the sheaths at both electrodes of a moderate-pressure γ-discharge are similar in their basic behavior and average characteristics to the cathode sheath of a glow discharge.
