Gas discharge physics

The topic “gas discharge physics” is fundamental to electrical breakdown in gases. Many excellent publications provide detailed accounts. In this article, the authors recall contributions drawn from research conducted at the University of Strathclyde (UK) under the direction of David J. Tedford. From the late 1950s onwards, these programmes generated numerous international meetings, research collaborations and exchange programmes that inevitably fostered several lively “debates”. In this article, they summarize some key concepts to provide a background before attempting to recall something of these debates. (5 pages)