Scaling laws for dielectric window breakdown in vacuum and collisional regimes

Abstract

The scaling laws for the initiation time of radio frequency (rf) window breakdown are constructed for three gases: Ar, Xe, and Ne. They apply to the vacuum, to the multipactor-triggered regime, and to the collisional rf plasma regime, and they are corroborated by computer simulations of these three gases over a wide range of pressures. This work elucidates the key factors that are needed for the prediction of rf window breakdown in complex gases, such as air, at various pressures. © 2006 American Institute of Physics.