Abstract
Currently, electrical discharges occurring at altitudes of tens to hundreds of kilometers from the Earth’s surface attract considerable attention from researchers from all over the world. A significant number of (nano)particles coming from outer space burn up at these altitudes. As a result, vapors of various substances, including metals, are formed at different altitudes. This paper deals with the influence of vapors and particles released from metal electrodes on the color and shape of pulse-periodic discharge in air, nitrogen, argon, and hydrogen. It presents the results of experimental studies. The discharge was implemented under an inhomogeneous electric field and was accompanied by the generation of runaway electrons and the formation of mini-jets. It was established that regardless of the voltage pulse polarity, the electrode material significantly affects the color of spherical- and cylindrical-shaped mini jets formed when bright spots appear on electrodes. Similar jets are observed when the discharge is transformed into a spark. It was shown that the color of the plasma of mini-jets is similar to that of atmospheric discharges (red sprites, blue jets, and ghosts) at altitudes of dozens of kilometers and differs from the color of plasma of pulsed diffuse discharges in air and nitrogen at the same pressure. It was revealed that to observe the red, blue and green mini-jets, it is necessary to use aluminum, iron, and copper electrodes, respectively.
Highlights
The aim of this work is to study the optical properties of plasma of diffuse and spark discharges in an inhomogeneous electric field at different pressures of air, argon, nitrogen, and hydrogen with the injection of electrode material into the discharge region due to the explosion of microprotrusions on the electrode surface and/or transition to a spark
The color of mini-jets observed in such discharges is compared with that of high-altitude
The study ofatmospheric the discharge modes and characteristics discharges. of the formed plasma was carried out using electrodes of various shapes, made of different materials
Summary
Micro- and nanoparticles are used in cases of exposure to solids and liquids [1,2,3], as well as in biology [4], agriculture [5], and other fields [6]. These highly demanded areas have already become traditional; scientific teams from different countries continue to conduct intensive research aimed at studying the properties of such powders (see, for example, [7,8,9,10]). It is known that metal vapors and various particles affect the optical properties of gas-discharge plasma
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