Comparative study of noise in low-current Townsend discharge in nitrogen and argon.

Noise in a low-current Townsend discharge in argon and nitrogen is studied. Experiments were performed in a "semiconductor-gas-discharge" structure constituted by a short plane-parallel discharge gap and a high-resistivity photosensitive semiconductor electrode. The noise of optical emission from gas excited by the discharge was investigated with a photomultiplier. Experiments were done at the room temperature of the discharge structure. According to the obtained data, the noise of discharge glow in Ar is astonishingly low-similar to that earlier found for the cryogenic discharge in this gas. At equal time-average photon fluxes emitted by discharges in both gases, the noise of gas glow in nitrogen substantially exceeds the corresponding value for argon. A statistical processing of signals of glow brightness for the two gases revealed the origin of this difference: While the power spectral density of noise in nitrogen is specified by a band of frequencies with the increased density, in argon it is nearly constant in an extended frequency range. At the same time, intensity of noise is practically the same for both gases in the ranges of low and high frequencies. The relationship of the increased noise in nitrogen with a low critical current density for oscillatory instability of the Townsend discharge in this gas is considered.