Discharge Characteristics of an Atmospheric Pressure Argon Plasma Jet Generated with Screw Ring-Ring Electrodes in Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharge

Abstract

An atmospheric-pressure argon plasma jet with screw ring-ring electrodes in surface dielectric barrier discharge is generated by a sinusoidal excitation voltage at 8 kHz. The discharge characteristics, such as rotational and vibrational temperature of nitrogen, electronic excitation temperature, oxygen atomic density, nitrogen molecular density, and average electron density, are estimated. It is found that the rotational temperature of nitrogen is in the range of 352 ∼ 392 K by comparing the simulated spectrum with the measured spectrum at the C3Πu → B3Πg(Δv = −2) band transition, the electronic excitation temperature is found to be in the range of 3127 ∼ 3230 K by using the Boltzmann plot method, the oxygen atomic and nitrogen molecular density are of the order of magnitude of 1016 cm−3 by the actinometry method, and the average electron density is of the order of magnitude of 1012 cm−3 by the energy balance equation. Besides, the effective power, conduction, and displacement current are measured during the discharge.