A simple apparatus for the study of experimental fractal structures in gaseous dielectric breakdown

An apparatus for the study of the discharge patterns generated in gaseous dielectric breakdown is described. The discharge patterns are imaged using a fast optical imaging system (≈ 40 ns exposure time) and are found to be fractals. The experimental fractal dimension obtained using a +17 kV pulse in air at atmospheric pressure is Dexpt ≈ 1.8 ± 0.1, which is in very good agreement with previous studies.