Experimental study of high-energy single-pulse nanosecond discharges in pin-to-pin configuration

Jeong, Won Joon; Babusis, Nicholas; Dogariu, Arthur; Starikovskiy, Andrey Y.; Morozov, Anatoli; Shneider, Mikhail N.; Shashurin, Alexey

doi:10.1063/5.0293494

Experimental study of high-energy single-pulse nanosecond discharges in pin-to-pin configuration

Journal Article · Wed Oct 15 00:00:00 EDT 2025 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0293494· OSTI ID:3008712

^[1]; Babusis, Nicholas ^[1]; ^[2]; ^[3]; ^[3]; ^[3]; ^[1]

Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN (United States)
Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States)
Princeton Univ., NJ (United States)

Single-pulse pin-to-pin nanosecond pulsed discharges in ambient air (gap distances of 3–7 mm) were investigated at high pulse energies (∼20–30 mJ deposited energy per 11 ns full width at half maximum pulse). A Michelson interferometry setup (532 nm continuous-wave laser) was employed to record time-resolved interferograms of the discharge, enabling spatially resolved calculation of the electron number density. An intensified charge-coupled device camera was used to capture the spatiotemporal evolution of the discharge (streamer formation and spark channel development), and Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Spectroscopy (CARS) was used to measure post-discharge N₂ vibrational temperatures. Discharge current and voltage were monitored with a back-current shunt. The discharge was initiated with simultaneous cathode-directed and anode-directed streamers that bridge the gap within ∼1 ns and form a luminous, filamentary plasma channel immediately after breakdown. Laser interferometry measurements showed peak electron number densities of the order of 10¹7–10¹⁸ cm⁻³, occurring about 15–20 ns after pulse arrival at the discharge gap. Shorter gap discharges yielded higher peak electron densities, consistent with the higher energy density in the smaller gaps. Spatially, the electron density was highest near the electrodes and decreased toward the midgap region, with 5 and 7 mm gaps exhibiting a pronounced drop in the central channel. CARS indicated initial vibrational temperatures of approximately 4000–6000 K in the spark core of ∼50 ns after the discharge onset, decaying on a ∼500 ns timescale as the plasma cooled and recombined.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0023209; AC02-09CH11466

OSTI ID:: 3008712

Report Number(s):: DOE; SC0023209

Journal Information:: Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 15 Vol. 138; ISSN 0021-8979; ISSN 1089-7550

Publisher:: American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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