Numerical study of the interaction of a helium atmospheric pressure plasma jet with a dielectric material

Abstract

This is a computational modeling study of a cold atmospheric pressure helium plasma jet impinging on a dielectric surface placed normal to the jet axis. This study provides insights into the propagation mechanism of the plasma jet, the electrical properties, and the total accumulated charge density at the dielectric surface. For the radial streamer propagation along the dielectric surface, Penning ionization and the electron impact ionization of helium atoms are the major ionization reactions in the streamer head, while Penning ionization is the only dominant contributor along the streamer body. In addition, the plasma bullet velocity along the dielectric surface is 10–100 times lower than that in the plasma column. Increasing tube radius or helium flow rate lowers air entrainment in the plasma jet, leading to a decrease of the radial electric field and the accumulated charge density at the dielectric surface. Furthermore, the tube radius has weaker influence on the plasma properties as tube radius increases. For a target dielectric with lower relative permittivity, a higher radial electric field penetrates into the material, and the surface ionization wave along the dielectric surface extends farther. Higher relative permittivity of the treated dielectric results in more charging at the dielectric surface and more electron density in the plasma column.