Photoionization in negative streamers: Fast computations and two propagation modes

Journal Article · Mon Feb 19 00:00:00 EST 2007 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2435934· OSTI ID:20971836

Luque, Alejandro; Ebert, Ute; Montijn, Carolynne; Hundsdorfer, Willem ^[1]

---

1. CWI, P.O. Box 94079, 1090 GB Amsterdam (Netherlands)

Streamer discharges play a central role in electric breakdown of matter in pulsed electric fields, both in nature and in technology. Reliable and fast computations of the minimal model for negative streamers in simple gases such as nitrogen have recently been developed. However, photoionization was not included; it is important in air and poses a major numerical challenge. The authors here introduce a fast and reliable method to include photoionization into our numerical scheme with adaptive grids, and they discuss its importance for negative streamers. In particular, they identify different propagation regimes where photoionization does or does not play a role.0.

• OSTI ID: 20971836
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 90, Issue 8; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2435934; (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
AIR
CALCULATION METHODS
ELECTRIC FIELDS
NITROGEN
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS
PHOTOIONIZATION