The authors measured the DC discharge inception voltage (Vi) for various electrode configurations in He, Ar and air in the vacuum range from 10/sup 5/ Pa to 10/sup -1/ Pa to discuss discharge mechanisms under a space environment. By quantitative consideration of Ei/p distribution in the gap space at the discharge inception, the discharge inception mechanism was investigated under nonuniform electric field in vacuum. At the same time, the authors observed the discharge profile variation with gas pressure and analyzed the characteristics of the discharge profile, quantitatively, using image processing techniques. Based on the analysis, they found that the discharge inception characteristics under nonuniform electric field agreed with those under uniform electric fields with consideration of discharge path length variation with gas pressure.
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