Portable IES Pulse Generator Decouples Rise Time from NO Yield in Atmospheric Sparks

The arXiv preprint describes a 2 kg IES generator using a parallel high-voltage capacitor to vary rise time while monitoring N2 second-positive and NO gamma bands via optical emission spectroscopy plus direct chemiluminescence NO readings. Electron excitation temperature was derived from Boltzmann plots of N2 lines and rotational temperature from OH bands, with absorbed power calculated from voltage-current waveforms across 200 discharge events per condition. Results showed NO concentration rose linearly with energy per pulse from 20 to 80 mJ while rise-time changes from 50 to 200 ns produced no independent effect once energy was held constant. Electrode surface temperature varied less than 15 K across conditions, ruling out thermal routes. The study is limited by single-electrode geometry and lack of time-resolved density measurements that would separate production from destruction kinetics. Independent replication with a fully decoupled Marx-bank reference system and 1000-shot statistics would strengthen causal claims.