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.