This is an up-to-date review of studies in the physics of pulsed electrical discharges in a vacuum. It gives the reader detailed information on the processes occurring at electrodes and in vacuum gaps and on the mechanisms of discharge initiation and development. Modern techniques and equipment are described in detail. Their high temporal and spatial resolution may be used to solve a number of problems concerning the short-term and microscopic aspects of discharges. A summary is given of a great deal of experimental data on the kinetics of vacuum breakdown. The authors used these results to identify a series of steps in the vacuum breakdown phenomenon. They were the first to discover and describe the explosive electron emission phenomenon and to show its fundamental role in the spark and the arc stages of a discharge. The information in this book may encourage the reader to design new experiments. The results presented may be applied to solve specific research or engineering problems.

Mesyats' Pulsed Power provides in-depth coverage of the generation of pulsed electric power, electron and ion beams, and various types of pulsed electromagnetic radiation. The electric power that can be produced by the methods described ranges from 106 to 1014W for pulse durations of 10-10-10-7s.

The book consists of nine parts containing 28 chapters, which deal with various aspects of pulsed power and high-power electronics and cover a concise theory of electric circuits as applied to nanosecond pulse technology; physics of fast processes occurring in electrical discharges in vacuum, gases, and liquids; phenomena in long lines; mechanisms of operation and designs of high-power gas-discharge, plasma, and semiconductor closing and opening switches as well as of high-power electric pulse generators using these switches; solid-state (semiconductor and magnetic) methods of production and transformation of nanosecond high-power pulses; and methods of production of high-power pulsed electron and ion beams. The closing part describes methods applied to produce high-power nanosecond pulsed X-rays, laser beams, microwaves, and ultrawideband electromagnetic radiation.

This all-embracing book covers gas, laser, semiconductor, and magnetic circuit elements, the phenomenon of explosive electron emission discovered by the author, diodes of various types, including semiconductor diodes based on the SOS effect discovered with participation of the author, and methods of production of various types of high-power pulsed radiation.