Pulsed nanosecond discharge development in liquids with various dielectric permittivity constants

The dynamics of pulsed nanosecond discharge development in liquid water, ethanol and hexane were investigated experimentally. High-voltage pulses with durations of 20 and 60 ns and amplitudes of 6–60 kV were used for discharge initiation. It is shown that the dynamics of discharge formation fundamentally differ between liquids with low and high dielectric permittivity coefficients. In water (high permittivity), two phases were observed in the...