Die Geschichte der Gasentladungsphysik

The History of Gas Discharge Physics Observation and study of the impressive polar lights marks the beginning of the gas discharge physics. Even though a remarkable progress was reached by the improvement of gas discharge tubes. The first constructed tube goes back to the Englishman Hauksbee. After that the German glassblower Heinrich Geißler developed more innovative discharge tubes by reducing the gas pressure and by using electrodes of aluminium. The Geißler tubes enabled a lot of scientists such as Plücker, Hittorf and Tesla to study the properties of glow discharges in more detail. At the same time Sir William Crookes developed similar tubes, which found a use in the laboratories of English physicists. Ultimately there were more seminal insights which led to the development of plasma physics as a seperate field and as foundation for many industrial applications.