Effect of the gas dynamic structure of a flow on the parameters of a self-sustained discharge. II

The limiting current of a self-sustained glow discharge is calculated. Two-dimensional equations for the flow of a viscous, vibrationally nonequilibrium gas and a model of the cathode sheath are used. The validity of the approximations which form the basis of the cathode sheath model was tested with experimental data for anomalous and normal currents. The effects of laminar and turbulent gas flow and of the geometric dimensions of the channel on the limiting discharge current are examined. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 69, 49–55 (November 1999)     

Development of a self-sustained gas volume discharge

The development of a self-sustained volume gas discharge is studied numerically. Special attention is paid to the formation and stability of the cathode sheath. It is shown that the high-voltage threshold for the ignition of a volume discharge is determined by the onset of cathode sheath instability. The methods for suppressing cathode sheath instability are discussed.     

Dispersion of acoustic waves in the plasma of a self-sustained gas discharge

The dispersion effects appearing during the propagation of acoustic waves through the plasma of a weakly ionized gas are studied. The main theoretical results are based on the equation of propagation of sound in the medium with the so-called Rayleigh energy release mechanism, which has been obtained earlier. Unlike the previous investigations, the problem of propagation of a perturbation from a source and not the problem of propagation of the initial perturbation is solved. In particular, the sources of an N-shaped shock wave and a wave in the form of a symmetrical step are analyzed in detail. It is shown that depending on the direction of wave propagation (along or across the electric field in a plasma), it degenerates either into a wave packet with a wave frequency lower than a certain frequency characterizing heating, or into a wave packet with a frequency higher than this value. In addition, a quantitative criterion is obtained, which makes it possible to estimate the plasma parameters for which it will be possible to observe the dispersion of acoustic waves in the plasma.     

Plasma parameters of a spherically stratified gas discharge

Basic parameters of spherically stratified gas-discharge plasma are studied. Radial distributions of the electron concentration and temperature are measured by the method of an electric probe. It is shown that the electron concentration and temperature in an unstratified discharge monotonically decrease from the anode to cathode, while, in a stratified one, they have discontinuities on the strata borders, which can be caused by the appearance of double layers in such a discharge.     

Theory of discharge sectionalized along a gas flow

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Effect of a corona discharge on the gasdynamical flow rate

We have shown experimentally that the application of an electric field to an air stream blowing over a corona point has the additional effect of increasing the air velocity. This result is derived from the interaction of two factors. We have developed a model of the phenomenon which is based on electrostatic and hydrodynamic equations. The model provides an equation which relates the additional air velocity to the basic corona discharge parameters. The resulting function agrees with the experimental results.     

Interaction of a surface glow discharge with a gas flow

A surface glow discharge in a gas flow is of particular interest as a possible tool for controlling the flow past hypersonic aircrafts. Using a hydrodynamic model of glow discharge, two-dimensional calculations for a kilovolt surface discharge in nitrogen at a pressure of 0.5 Torr are carried out in a stationary gas, as well as in a flow with a velocity of 1000 m/s. The discharge structure and plasma parameters are investigated near a charged electrode. It is shown that the electron energy in a cathode layer reaches 250–300 eV. Discharge is sustained by secondary electron emission. The influence of a high-speed gas flow on the discharge is considered. It is shown that the cathode layer configuration is flow-resistant. The distributions of the electric field and electron energy, as well as the ionization rate profile in the cathode layer, do not change qualitatively under the action of the flow. The basic effect of the flow’s influence is a sharp decrease in the region of the quasineutral plasma surrounding the cathode layer due to fast convective transport of ions.     

On the mechanism of the runaway of electrons in a gas: The upper branch of the self-sustained discharge ignition curve

Based on the results of simulation by the method of particles, it is shown that the Townsend mechanism of electron multiplication in a gas at a sufficiently large electrode spacing is valid at least up to such large values of E/p at which relativistic electrons are generated. On the other hand, the phenomenon of electron runaway in a gas is determined by the electrode spacing, which must be either comparable with or smaller than the characteristic electron multiplication length, rather than the local criteria accepted presently. It is shown that, for a particular gas, the critical voltage across the electrodes at which the runaway electrons comprise a significant fraction is a universal function of the product of the electrode spacing by the gas pressure. This function also determines the condition of self-sustained discharge ignition. It not only incorporates the known Paschen curve but also additionally contains the upper branch, which describes the absence of a self-sustained discharge at a high voltage sufficiently rapidly supplied across the electrodes.     

Spatial-spectral structure of superluminosity in a high-pressure gas discharge

The spatial-spectral characteristics of superluminosity of a high-pressure N ₂ ⁺ laser have been studied both theoretically and experimentally. The observed characteristics are explained by using the concepts on emission of a thermal source that is limited in time and space.     

Nanosecond volume gas discharge in a flow with gasdynamic discontinuities

Experimental results concerning the interaction of pulsed volume ionization with the supersonic gas flow in a shock tube are described. The spatiotemporal and spectral characteristics of a nanosecond volume discharge plasma with ultraviolet preionization from plasma electrodes are presented. It is shown that the ionization region can be localized using gasdynamic discontinuities. The coincidence of the glow region with the discharge energy release region is discussed.     

Study of the limiting energy characteristics of a combined discharge in a gas flow

A combined method of excitation of a gaseous medium is used in an investigation of the energy characteristics of a non-self-sustaining discharge as functions of the capacitance of the capacitor bank, the number of pulses per burst, and the burst repetition rate for different time intervals between the pulses in a burst and different flow velocities of the gas. It is shown for infrared lasers that under optimal pumping conditions the average discharge power can reach 8.5 W/cm³ for a pulse power of 25 W/cm³. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 68, 33–38 (May 1998)     

Characteristics of gas heating in a transverse discharge in air flow

The thermal instability of discharge plasma in air is analyzed. The contributions of specific mechanisms of instability are examined, including VT relaxation, the increase in the fractional energy dissipation via rapid heating due to an increase in reduced field strength, and ionization thermal instability. The effects of acoustic wave generation caused by heating and of charged particle motion relative to the neutral gas on both the length scale and the growth rate of unstable fluctuations are taken into account.     

Characteristics of surface glow discharge in a low-pressure supersonic gas flow

Kinetic particle-in-cell simulations are performed to examine the characteristics of the surface glow discharge in a supersonic nitrogen flow. The gas pressure is varied between 100 and 500 mTorr; the applied voltage, between −500 and −1000 V. The analysis focuses on the effect of boundary conditions at the dielectric barrier surrounding the electrodes on the electron energy distribution function. The potential on the dielectric is found by using a local balance condition for the electron and ion currents to the surface. The results of self-consistent simulations show that a negative potential on the dielectric substantially reduces the rate of high-energy electron loss from the bulk plasma and thus significantly changes the ionization rate, as well as plasma parameters and configuration.     

Effect of staggered array structure on the flow field of micro gas chromatographic column

A new design of staggered array semi-packed micro gas chromatographic column was presented based on the micro electromechanical system(MEMS)technology.It was a sensor for gas sample analysis.The internal velocity fields of ten types of semi-packed micro gas chromatographic column were studied.The effects of array spacing and dislocation spacing on the flow field distribution were investigated.The results show that on the basis of ensuring the formation of virtual wall,with the increase of array spacing,the maximum velocity difference between the flow channels in the vertical direction decreases gradually,but the velocity difference in the flow channels a and b increases.When the inlet velocity was set to be 0.18 m/s,the maximum velocity difference in the channel of the staggered semi-packed micro gas chromatography column 3(CSAC3)was 0.05610 m/s.The maximum velocity difference in the channel a was 0.09160 m/s.The maximum velocity difference in the channel b was 0.02401 m/s.CSAC3 had a more uniform velocity field distribution,which can effectively suppress the laminar flow effect during chromatographic separation,and had a smaller pressure distribution,which puts forward lower requirements for carrier gas system.The staggered array semi-packed micro gas chromatography column proposed in this paper can effectively improve the velocity field distribution and pressure distribution in the channel,and provide a theoretical basis for the design of the new micro gas chromatography column structure.     

气流对氮气介质阻挡放电气体温度及放电模式的影响

利用光谱测量和高速照相的方法,对大气压氮气介质阻挡放电进行了研究.在气流的帮助下,2mm气隙中的均匀放电可以长时间得以维持.根据放电电流波形和1μs曝光时间的放电图像,这种均匀放电被判定为汤森放电.用氦氖激光器对实验中所用的光谱仪带来的谱线轮廓展宽进行了标定,并将得到的仪器展宽数据输入Specair软件,计算了不同气体温度下氮分子二正系0—2谱带的谱线轮廓.通过用计算谱线轮廓去拟合实验谱线轮廓,确定了氮分子的转动温度并将其近似为气体温度.结果表明:大气压氮气介质阻挡汤森放电并不能使气体温度大幅上升(ΔTg≤50K),气体温度的小幅上升不会引起热不稳定性而导致放电发展成为细丝放电.气流确实可以降低放电气体温度,但这不是使汤森放电得以维持的原因.通过比较加入气流前后的放电光谱可知,气流降低了气隙中杂质氧的含量,使得更多的氮分子亚稳态N2(A3Σu+)的寿命延长到下一次放电的起始时刻,为汤森放电提供了必需的大量种子电子.     

Exploration of the Townsend regime by discharge light emission in a gas discharge deviceExploration of the Townsend regime by discharge light emission in a gas discharge deviceExploration of the Townsend regime by discharge light emission in a gas discharge deviceExploration of the Townsend regime by discharge light emission in a gas discharge deviceExploration of the Townsend regime by discharge light emission in a gas discharge device

The Townsend discharge mechanism has been explored in a planar microelectronic gas discharge device （MGDD） with different applied voltages U and interelectrode distance d under various pressures in air. The anode and the cathode of the MGDD are formed by a transparent SnO2 covered glass and a GaAs semiconductor, respectively. In the experiments, the discharge is found to be unstable just below the breakdown voltage Ub, whereas the discharge passes through a homo- geneous stable Townsend mode beyond the breakdown voltage. The measurements are made by an electrical circuit and a CCD camera by recording the currents and light emission （LE） intensities. The intensity profiles, which are converted from the 3D light emission images along the semiconductor diameter, have been analysed for different system parameters. Dif- ferent instantaneous conductivity ~t regimes are found below and beyond the Townsend region. These regimes govern the current and spatio-temporal LE stabilities in the plasma system. It has been proven that the stable LE region increases up to 550 Torr as a function of pressure for small d. If the active area of the semiconductor becomes larger and the interlectrode distance d becomes smaller, the stable LE region stays nearly constant with pressure.     

Numerical simulation of gas flow in a magnetically stabilized coaxial laser discharge

The neutral gas flow profile within a magnetically stabilized coaxial laser gas discharge is analyzed by using a single fluid magnetogasdynamic model. Equations describing the rotational, radial and axial gas transport are solved by using an iterative alternating direction implicit method. Steady state rotational velocities of the order of 20 m/s are found.