Electrical discharge propagation between GEM foils

This paper presents the studies of fast sequential discharge formations in neighboring Gas Electron Multiplier foils (so called fast discharge propagations). We report on the characteristics of the time delay between the discharges, which has been shown to be of the order of tens of nanoseconds. This time delay decreases both with increasing voltage on the foil where the secondary discharge occurs as well as with decreasing distance between the neighboring foils. Optical measurements of the discharges in two- and three-stage detector setups show that the propagating discharge does not occur directly below the primary discharge, but is displaced from the shortest line between neighboring foils. This observation, together with Scanning Electron Microscope and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy analyses of the material deposited below the position of the primary discharge provide valuable information on the time evolution of the fast discharge propagation through the detector and its formation mechanism. In the light of these findings, we propose and discuss a new hypothesis for the occurrence of the secondary discharges.