Electrical, brightness, and gasdynamic characteristics of high-current discharges in nitrogen and argon at pressures of 1–11 atm

The results are reported of an experimental investigation of high-current (~100 kA) discharges in nitrogen and argon at pressures up to II atm over distances of ~1 m. Such discharges are used as laser optical-pumping-sources. It is shown that the self-similar theory of discharges predicts correctly the changes in the discharge parameters with increasing pressure: The brightness temperature is practically unaffected, whereas the plasma expansion velocity decreases.