Study of self‐organised criticality in a coaxial plasma source with gridded cathode

Abstract

AbstractMultiple luminous sheath structures develop in the localised plasma formation inside a cylindrical gridded cathode plasma source. These structures gradually expand into the whole vessel and undergo a critical state through self‐organised criticality (SOC) along with pronounced sheath oscillations during the variation of anode potential. The present investigation emphasises the stability properties associated with the oscillations of the sheath potential structures in the cylindrical‐gridded cathode in glow discharge regime through SOC phenomena through non‐linear time series analysis. The non‐linear temporal and spatial analysis of potential structure and dynamics of charged particles are correlated with SOC in cylindrical‐gridded cathode in glow discharge regime through the dynamics of multiple sheath structure formations. The existence of flicker noise and long‐range correlation in the time series suggests the existence of SOC behaviour in the system, the multiple sheath structures evolve through reduction and addition of layers. Cylindrical‐gridded cathode discharge initiation during formations of multiple sheath structures, switching of discharge regimes with anode potential, layer reduction and addition inside the sheath structures through SOC behaviour, renders uniqueness to the present regime of investigation. Self‐organised pattern formations and self‐organised criticality behaviour investigated in the present glow discharge regime using the cylindrical‐gridded cathode source are of prime importance to understand the complex behaviour of plasmas in the field of hollow cathode discharges.