A method is described whereby the recovery of plasmas formed by the passage of a high current discharge across a spark gap has been measured as a function of both the time after the passage of a current pulse and the radial distance from the centre of the spark gap. The effects of pressure, current magnitude and current waveform on the recovery time of the test gap were investigated and it was found that all of them exerted powerful but explicable influences on the recovery. Gas temperatures were derived using the assumption that the Paschen Law holds true during the final recovery period. / Science, Faculty of / Physics and Astronomy, Department of / Graduate

Thesis (M.Sc.) --University of Adelaide, 1951. / Typewritten copy.

Sanborn C. Brown. / "April 12, 1951." / Bibliography: p. 15. / Army Signal Corps Contract No. W36-039-sc-32037 Project No. 102B. Dept. of the Army Project No. 3-99-10-022.