Energy deposition in boundary gas layer during initiation of nanosecond sliding surface discharge

The process of rapid gas heating in the region of distributed pulsed sliding surface gas discharge (plasma sheet) of nanosecond duration has been studied. The fraction of electric energy converted into heat during the passage of discharge current has been estimated from a detailed analysis of the dynamics of shock wave fields arising upon the initiation of discharge. Experiments are performed in quiescent gases (air, nitrogen, helium) and in supersonic airflows behind a plane shock wave in a shock tube at gas densities within 0.04-0.45 kg/m(3) and flow velocities up to 1600 m/s.