Statistical studies of the electric breakdown in nitrogen in the duration range of 3 ms–60 min

The statistical characteristics of an electric breakdown in the nitrogen in the spike (cathode)–plane gap in the duration range of (3 $\times$ 10$^{-3}$)–3600 s at voltages close to a static breakdown have been studied. It has been found that a probability of a gap breakdown is nonmonotonously distributed over time. The presence of maxima in the probability distribution confirms a contribution of some processes that both stimulate and suppress a breakdown. The typical times of the processes are $\sim$30 ms, $\sim$10$^{-1}$ s, and $\sim$300 s.