Transition of a diffuse discharge to a spark at nanosecond breakdown of high-pressure nitrogen and air in a nonuniform electric field

The transition of a runaway-electron-induced diffuse discharge initiated in a nonuniform electric field under a high pressure of air and nitrogen to a spark is studied. High-voltage pulses with a rise time of 0.5 ns are applied to a discharge gap with a tubular cathode having a small radius of curvature. It is shown that the leader of the spark discharge propagates toward the tubular cathode along preproduced tracks and may pass from one track to another. For a pulse rise time of about 0.5 ns and a gap length of 12 mm or more, it is found that spark leaders originating at the cathode (which has a small radius of curvature) do not reach the anode and accordingly, do not cause the spark breakdown of the gap. It is confirmed that the spark breakdown of the gap is associated with a spark leader that moves away from the plane electrode after the appearance of a bright spot on it.     

Two types of current oscillations in a low-current spark discharge initiated in a nonuniform electric field

Experimental data for a spark discharge in the tip-plane electrode configuration in argon are considered for the case when the discharge current is limited by a high-resistivity ballast resistor. It is shown that the current passing in the thin plasma channel of a low-current spark represents a steady sequence of regular pulses. It is found that low-frequency current pulses of the low-current spark are accompanied with high-frequency current oscillations of nanosecond duration.     

Pulsed discharge in nitrogen and argon under an elevated pressure in a nonuniform electric field

The characteristics of a discharge and radiation in nitrogen and argon under pressures of 10–760 Torr and the discharge formation without pre-ionization of the gap from an auxiliary source are considered. A peak is detected on the pressure dependence of the radiation power of the second positive system of nitrogen for E ₀/p ～ 270 V/cm Torr and nitrogen pressure p ～ 70 Torr. In the pressure range 10–760 Torr and for a voltage pulse leading front duration of ～ 10 ns, an electron beam is formed behind the grid anode with various half-amplitude pulse durations. It is shown that, under the given conditions, the electron beam is formed at the voltage pulse front both in the case of a discharge gap breakdown and in the absence of a clearly manifested breakdown, as well as for a 10-ns delay of breakdown at the leading front of a discharge current pulse.     

Microstructure of the current channels in a nanosecond spark discharge in atmospheric-pressure air in uniform and highly nonuniform electric fields

The microstructure of a nanosecond spark discharge in atmospheric-pressure air in uniform and highly nonuniform electric fields is investigated. It is found that an 0.1-to 0.4-mm spark channel consists of a large number (from 100 to 1000) of 5-to 10-μm-diameter microchannels distributed nearly uniformly over the channel cross section. The current amplitude in the spark is 1.5–3 kA, and the current density in a microchannel is 10⁷ A/cm². It is shown that the formation of the microstructure cannot be attributed to ionization-heating instability. The instability of the ionization wave front is suggested as a mechanism for the microstructure formation.     

Neutron emission during a nanosecond discharge in deuterium in a nonuniform electric field

Neutron emission during a nanosecond deuterium discharge formed at the nonuniform electric field is investigated. A stable neutron yield is observed when the cathode is made of metallic plates covered by a layer of deuterated zirconium and the anode is made of stainless steel in the form of a tube. It is shown that, when the deuterium pressure equals several Torr, neutrons are emitted from both deuterated and deuterium-free cathodes. The influence of the anode design on the neutron yield is studied.     

Structure of the glow of a nanosecond diffuse discharge in a strongly nonuniform electric field

The structure of the glow of a diffuse discharge in air under atmospheric pressure is studied in detail in the “rod (cathode)-plane” geometry for an electrode gap of 10 cm and a cathode tip radius from 3 cm to 2.4 μm. The amplitude of voltage across the gap was ～ 220 kV for voltage growth rate of ～10¹³ V/s and a pulse duration of 180 ns. It is found that the shape of the discharge glow strongly depends on the radius of the cathode tip. For large values of the radius, the multichannel form of the glow prevails, which is statistically transformed into a volume glow as the radius decreases from 5 mm to 60 μm. This transition is accompanied by a decrease in the amplitude of the discharge current from 440 to 140 A on the average. For ultrasmall radii of the cathode (2.4–7.7 μm), the multichannel form of the glow prevails again and the amplitude of the discharge current increases up to ～300 A.     

Optical characteristics of the plasma of a nanosecond atmospheric-pressure volume discharge in a nonuniform electric field

Optical characteristics of the plasma of nanosecond volume discharges in air, nitrogen, krypton, argon, neon, and Ar/N₂ and Ar/Xe mixtures at elevated pressures are investigated. The discharges are excited in a gap with a cathode of small curvature radius. The waveforms and spectra of plasma emission from discharges in different gases in the 230-to 600-nm spectral range are measured. Optical generation in an Ar/Xe mixture is achieved at an active length of 1.5 cm. A comparison is performed of the spectral characteristics of the emission from nitrogen, krypton, argon, and neon excited by a volume discharge in a nonuniform electric field, by a nanosecond electron beam, and by a pulsed volume discharge in a uniform electric field at a high initial voltage.     

On the equilibrium shapes of a conducting drop in a uniform and nonuniform electric field

The equilibrium shape of a drop in the electrostatic field of a point charge and a point dipole is asymptotically calculated in terms of the dimensionless deformation of the shape and a ratio between the drop’s radius and the distance to the point charge (dipole). Irrespective of the degree of nonuniformity of the field, the prolate spheroidal deformation (typical of the uniform field) is shown to be the main reason for the change in the equilibrium shape of the spherical drop. When the nonuniformity of the field grows, the equilibrium shape becomes more and more asymmetric and different from the spheroidal one. This, all other things being equal, may influence the critical conditions for the instability of the drop’s surface against an induced charge. It follows from the aforesaid that the drop in the field of the dipole will be the first to undergo instability with the electrostatic pressure on the drop being the same.     

Formation of ball streamers at a subnanosecond breakdown of gases at a high pressure in a nonuniform electric field

The formation of a diffuse discharge plasma at a subnanosecond breakdown of a “cone–plane” gap filled with air, nitrogen, methane, hydrogen, argon, neon, and helium at various pressures has been studied. Nanosecond negative and positive voltage pulses have been applied to the conical electrode. The experimental data on the dynamics of plasma glow at the stage of formation and propagation of a streamer have been obtained with intensified charge-coupled device and streak cameras. It has been found that the formation of ball streamers is observed in all gases and at both polarities. A supershort avalanche electron beam has been detected behind the flat foil electrode in a wide range of pressures in the case of a negatively charged conical electrode. A mechanism of the formation of streamers at breakdown of various gases at high overvoltages has been discussed.     

Spatial macroscopic structure of a pulsed microsecond discharge in barrier-metal gaps with a nonuniform electric field distribution

Electric and spatial characteristics of a pulse-periodic microsecond barrier discharge are investigated in different geometries—triangular prism, plate, and corrugated electrode—that are in contact with a dielectric plate and form a dihedral angle with it. It is established that, in the space of the dihedral angle, the regions of discharge represent alternating cylindrical layers with the axes lying on the contact line. The first conducting layer is formed at some distance from the contact edge of the electrode. The number of layers and their localization are determined by the angle formed between an electrode and the dielectric plate. A physical model explaining the main features of the structure formation is proposed.     

On the motion of charged particles in an alternating nonuniform electric field

The equations of motion for a charged particle in an electric field featuring a stationary and an oscillating component are considered for the case where the force of friction is linear in the particle velocity. The averaging of these equations over the period of field oscillations is legitimate under some specific conditions. The most general expression for an additional stationary force acting on the particle under these conditions is derived, and the limiting values of this force are found. Applications of the results obtained in the present study are considered. Such applications include the use of pulsed currents in the electrochemical dimensional treatment of materials.     

极不均匀电场下重复频率纳秒脉冲气体击穿实验研究

 实验研究了尖-板电极中,不同重复频率（10,100,500,1 000 Hz）、不同间隙(0.5,1 cm),不同气压（0.1～0.4 MPa）等条件下空气的绝缘特性。得到了击穿时延、重复频率耐受时间、施加脉冲个数等与施加电压、重复频率的关系。研究发现：在该实验条件下击穿时延随着场强与气压的比值减小而增加,但重频耐受时间和脉冲击穿个数并没有明显变化;随着重复频率的提高,击穿时延和重频耐受时间会减小,但脉冲击穿个数可能会增加;且重复频率条件下击穿的极性效应不明显;重复施加的脉冲产生大量的亚稳态粒子和残余电荷影响放电的发展过程;负离子的脱负或正离子碰撞阴极的过程,及亚稳态粒子的去激励作用给击穿提供了有效初始电子。     

极不均匀电场下重复频率纳秒脉冲气体击穿实验研究

实验研究了尖-板电极中,不同重复频率（10,100,500,1 000 Hz）、不同间隙(0.5,1 cm),不同气压（0.1～0.4 MPa）等条件下空气的绝缘特性。得到了击穿时延、重复频率耐受时间、施加脉冲个数等与施加电压、重复频率的关系。研究发现：在该实验条件下击穿时延随着场强与气压的比值减小而增加,但重频耐受时间和脉冲击穿个数并没有明显变化;随着重复频率的提高,击穿时延和重频耐受时间会减小,但脉冲击穿个数可能会增加;且重复频率条件下击穿的极性效应不明显;重复施加的脉冲产生大量的亚稳态粒子和残余电荷影响放电的发展过程;负离子的脱负或正离子碰撞阴极的过程,及亚稳态粒子的去激励作用给击穿提供了有效初始电子。     

Instability of a spherical drop in a nonuniform electric field

Analytical calculation in the first order of smallness shows that the equilibrium shape of a drop in the field of a point charge is axisymmetric about the plane passing through the center of mass of the drop normally to the axis connecting the center of mass with the point charge. Whether the equilibrium shape of the drop is stable or not depends on the value of the field parameter, which, in turn, depends on the point charge and the distance to it. There is an asymptotic value of the critical parameter above which all modes become unstable. In the field of the point charge, the mode coupling grows; that is, a mode excited at the zero time generates oscillations of the six nearest modes with amplitudes proportional to that of the initially excited mode. If the initially excited mode loses stability, all the modes coupled with it also become unstable. The surface instability of the drop also develops when the initially excited mode is stable but at least one of the modes coupled with it is unstable.     

High-pressure runaway-electron-preionized diffuse discharges in a nonuniform electric field

High-pressure nanosecond diffuse (volume) discharges in a nonuniform electric field are studied experimentally using a recording system with a ?100-ps time resolution. As the voltage pulse shrinks to a width of ≈100 ps, the initiation of a diffuse discharge without a source of additional ionization is facilitated; specifically, a runaway-electron-preionized diffuse discharge is ignited in atmospheric-pressure air in the case of short interelectrode gaps. It is found that a major energy deposit into the plasma of this discharge is from an abnormal glow discharge following a maximum of the gap voltage.     

宽气压范围空气中微波击穿电场的计算公式

为了简便快捷地计算微波击穿电场,依据电子扩散模型的基本理论,结合气体放电的基本参量,应用特征扩散长度的概念,给出了适合于规则结构微波部件的击穿电场的计算方法。为避免各种气体参数的不确定性对计算准确度的影响,对等效直流电场与特征扩散长度之间的实验关系进行了拟合,并根据等效直流电场的定义,得出了一个适用于较高气压范围的击穿电场计算表达式。为了将该计算表达式扩展到更低的气压范围,综合考虑了电子扩散模型和基于二次电子发射现象的真空微放电机理,引入了一个合理形式的等效扩散长度,进一步给出了适合于更广气压范围的微波击穿电场的计算表达式,计算结果更符合A.D.Macdonald的实验结果。     

On the discharge in laser plasma in an external electric field

The possibility of creating discharge in laser plasma in an external electric field with quasi-static current generation along the field is discussed. The knowledge of the quasi-static current generation mechanism in laser plasma, associated with the rarefaction shock wave (RSW), allows the determination of the spatial distribution of these currents during laser irradiation of a planar target. Having included the (planar or cylindrical) target into an external contour, we propose a discharge scheme in laser plasma, where the discharge current increases during the laser pulse.     

Equilibrium configurations of the conducting liquid surface in a nonuniform electric field

Possible equilibrium configurations of the free surface of a conducting liquid deformed by a nonuniform external electric field are investigated. The liquid rests on an electrode that has the shape of a dihedral angle formed by two intersecting equipotential half-planes (conducting wedge). It is assumed that the problem has plane symmetry: the surface is invariant under shift along the edge of the dihedral angle. A one-parametric family of exact solutions for the shape of the surface is found in which the opening angle of the region above the wedge serves as a parameter. The solutions are valid when the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the liquid is zero. For an arbitrary pressure difference, approximate solutions to the problem are constructed and it is demonstrated the approximation error is small. It is found that, when the potential difference exceeds a certain threshold value, equilibrium solutions are absent. In this case, the region occupied by the liquid disintegrates, the disintegration scenario depending on the opening angle.