Investigation of the statistical nature and structure of the electrical breakdown time delay in gas diodes filled with neon

The electrical breakdown time delay in gas diodes filled by neon at the low pressures is investigated experimentally and theoretically. Experimental results are obtained measuring the characteristics of gas diodes filled by spectroscopically pure neon. In order to discard any systematic trend during the measurement procedure, checking of the measured values randomness preceded the statistical analysis of the experimental results. Novel theoretical model is established for interpretation of obtained experimental results on the breakdown time delay. The model is based on the assumptions of the exponential distribution of the statistical time delay and Gaussian distribution of the formative discharge time. Therefore, the density distribution of the breakdown time delay is assumed to be convolution of the statistical and formative time delay distributions. Parameters of the statistical and formative time delay, as stochastic variables, are modeled by the numerical Monte Carlo method. Numerical distributions are tested to the corresponding experimental distributions of the breakdown time delay by varying the distribution parameters. In addition, the asymmetry coefficient and skewness coefficient of the breakdown time delay distribution, and coefficients of the statistical and formative time delay distributions are analyzed. Numerically calculated time delay distributions fit well to the corresponding experimental distributions in gas diodes filled with neon at low pressures.