Abstract

The design and construction of a millimeter size noninvasive capacitive probe array to investigate ionization growth phenomena in pulsed capillary discharges are presented. The probes estimated to be characterized by a time response better than 0.5 ns, with very good electric noise rejection. The probes have identified a fast ionization wave in the prebreakdown phase of a hollow cathode initiated fast pulsed capillary discharge. © 2001 American Institute of Physics.