Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 April 2002
Electrical breakdown in a mixed gas is investigated. The plasma at breakdown is evaluated in terms of the mole fraction χ. The optimum condition for the highest plasma density is described in terms of the ionization energy and collisional cross-section of the mixed gas. The optimum mole fraction for the highest plasma density is found to be χ = 0.03 for the case of plasma generation in neon gas mixed with xenon for a plasma display panel. The optimum condition for the highest number of electronic excitations is also obtained.