Extraordinary extinction of dielectric barrier Townsend discharge in nitrogen at atmospheric pressure

Abstract

Homogeneous dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) in nitrogen at atmospheric pressure was produced and identified with a Townsend discharge. It was found that the manner of the discharge extinction is different from that in which most DBDs behave. DBD is normally extinguished with a rapidly reduced gas voltage as the dielectric charges up during the gas discharge. However, the dielectric barrier Townsend discharge in atmospheric nitrogen is extinguished while the gas voltage continues rising up or keeps constant. Based on the experimental results that there exist shallow traps (<1 eV) on the dielectric surface, the extraordinary extinction of the Townsend discharge was explained with the limited number of the shallowly trapped electrons on the dielectric surface that could not provide the Townsend discharge with sufficient secondary electrons.