low current is in the current range of for example u03bca to some few ma and does not yet lead to breakdown at the discharge gap 8 such a breakdown is initiated only with the trigger pulse of the trigger voltage source 17 with this hollow electrode switch where with a hydrogen filling for example the product p u00d7 d 150 pa mm one obtains at an applied voltage u o between cathode 2 and anode 3 of for example 30 kv and a size of the hollow electrode 10 of for example t d 20 mm and with a pre ionization current i v 0 2 ma and a negative trigger pulse of 4 5 kv a switching delay of about 50 ns and a jitter which is limited to about 1 ns under certain conditions in particular at a very small distance a of the hollow electrode 10 from the cathode 2 it may be appropriate to provide additional pressure compensation apertures in the bottom 11 under certain conditions also the hollow cylindrical sidewall 12 of the hollow electrode 10 may be provided with such pressure compensation apertures in the embodiment of fig1 the trigger voltage source 17 and the additional voltage source 21 for the pre ionization are electroconductively connected to the bottom 11.