Abstract: A gas detector designed for use with a gas chromatography system, or alone, comprising a tubular inner electrode, a tubular outer electrode coaxial with the inner electrode, and a dielectric tube axially between the inner electrode and the outer electrode. The dielectric tube serves as a dielectric barrier between the inner electrode and the outer electrode. There is a longitudinal gap between the left end of the outer electrode and the right end of the inner electrode, and a sufficient voltage is applied across the gap between the electrodes to create an electrical discharge which emits light from a gas passing through the gap. The light is then detected and analyzed to determine the chemical constituents of the gas passing through the gap.