Pattern formation and propagation during microwave breakdown
- Laboratoire Plasma et Conversion d'Energie (LAPLACE), INPT, UPS, Universite de Toulouse, 118 route de Narbonne, F-31062 Toulouse Cedex 9 (France)
During microwave breakdown at atmospheric pressure, a sharp plasma front forms and propagates toward the microwave source at high velocities. Experiments show that the plasma front may exhibit a complex dynamical structure or pattern composed of plasma filaments aligned with the wave electric field and apparently moving toward the source. In this paper, we present a model of the pattern formation and propagation under conditions close to recent experiments. Maxwell's equations are solved together with plasma fluid equations in two dimensions to describe the space and time evolution of the wave field and plasma density. The simulation results are in excellent agreement with the experimental observations. The model provides a physical interpretation of the pattern formation and dynamics in terms of ionization-diffusion and absorption-reflection mechanisms. The simulations allow a good qualitative and quantitative understanding of different features such as plasma front velocity, spacing between filaments, maximum plasma density in the filaments, and influence of the discharge parameters on the development of well-defined filamentary plasma arrays or more diffuse plasma fronts.
- OSTI ID:
- 21532126
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 17, Issue 12; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3517177; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
ELECTRICAL FAULTS
MAXWELL EQUATIONS
MICROWAVE RADIATION
PLASMA
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA FILAMENT
PLASMA FLUID EQUATIONS
SIMULATION
BOLTZMANN-VLASOV EQUATION
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EQUATIONS
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
RADIATIONS