Investigation of the stability of a corona discharge continuum model in the shortwave approximation

The stability of a negative corona discharge between two spherical electrodes the inner of which is a hydrodynamic source is investigated. A continuum discharge model consisting of equations for the electrons and positive and negative ions written with allowance for electrokinetic reactions and electrodynamic equations is used. The steady-state (undisturbed) solution of this electrohydrodynamic system of equations is found using numerical methods and its stability is analyzed in the shortwave approximation for various structural zones of the corona discharge, namely, the ionization zone, the zone of attachment of electrons to neutral molecules, and the unipolar charge zone (negative ion zone). The perturbation growth rates in these zones are determined. It is shown that in the ionization zone the corona discharge considered is unstable.