HIGH-SPEED CAMERA STUDY OF THE SURFACE-WAVE DISCHARGE PROPAGATION IN XENON

The formation and advance Df filamentary and diffusive microwave surfa ce wave plasma columns in xenon are studied by means of a high-speed c amera. The framing photographs show that the ionization front of the f ilamentary surface wave discharge exhibits a corona-leader-like behavi or. The streak photographs show that during the ionization front propa gation, the discharges in both forms are sustained by a standing surfa ce wave. At lower pressures, the streak photographs reveal the existen ce of a localized highly-luminous ionization front, which could indica te the presence of resonance absorption. The ionization front propagat ion velocity of both filamentary and diffusive plasma columns is measu red as a function of microwave power.