Kicker pulse circuit for an addressing structure using an ionizable gaseous medium

An addressing structure (10, 10') using an ionizable gaseous medium has plural nonintersecting channels (20, 20') extending in a first direction and filled with an ionizable gaseous medium. Each channel contains a reference electrode (30, 30') and a row electrode (62, 62'). An amplifier (100) provides a kicker pulse to one or both of the first and second electrodes in a channel at a time coincident with the application of a second electrical signal to the second electrode. The kicker pulse and the second electrical signal cooperate to promote ionization of the gaseous medium within a predetermined discharge initiation delay time tolerance. The ionization captures across a liquid crystal material (44) data signals placed on column electrodes (18); the data signals place display elements (16) associated with the electro-optic material in predetermined data storage or display element states. When data signals are applied to first electrodes (18) extending transversely across a channel and are of a type that does not repeat in immediately successive image fields data signals having the same polarity with respect to the reference electrode, the kicker pulse is applied to some or all channels in some or all image fields.