Numerical analysis of the concept of a laboratory experiment on the demonstration of runaway electron breakdown under normal conditions at high overvoltages

A numerical Monte Carlo experiment has been performed simulating the concept of a laboratory experiment on the demonstration of runaway electron breakdown of air at high overvoltages. The pronounced second peak of a picosecond runaway-electron pulse, which was observed in the laboratory experiment and interpreted as runaway electron avalanche initiated by the first peak of the pulse, is very slightly manifested in the numerical experiment. Only the initial stage of runaway electron avalanche can be observed in the laboratory experiment, but the fraction of secondary runaway electrons is too small to significantly affect the development of the breakdown.