Dynamics of the initial stage of the spark and diffuse discharges in air in a point–plane gap at different parameters of the tip electrode

Dynamics of the initial stage of discharge in air is studied at atmospheric pressure in a point–plane gap at different parameters of the tip electrode and lengths of the interelectrode gap. Spark or diffuse discharges are implemented in experiments depending on the length of the interelectrode gap. Shadow photography is used to show that, for all electrodes in the experiments, the discharge channels represent multiple microchannels that develop from the tip and close the discharge gap.