  We experimentally studied ion behavior and interelectrode breakdown voltage.
The ion behavior of a drift tube directly influences the detection of ion
intensity, and then influences the detection sensitivity of a system.
Interelectrode voltage and pressure directly influence the ion behavior. Gas
discharge between electrodes influences the adjustments required for
interelectrode voltage. The experimental results show: ion intensity increases
exponentially with the increment of voltage between drift electrodes; ion
intensity decreases exponentially as pressure increases; with the increment of
pressure, the breakdown voltage at first decreases, and then increases; ion
injection has a significant influence on breakdown voltage, and this influence
depends on the pressure and shapes of the electrodes. We explain the results
above through assumptions and by mathematical methods.
