The Dielectric Barrier Discharge and the Start of a Beautiful Friendship: Personal Remembrance of Dr. Ulrich Kogelschatz

Abstract

One can safely say that the pioneering work of Dr. Ulrich Kogelschatz and his team on the physics and chemistry of the dielectric barrier discharge was foundational and remain of great relevance to the present day. Kogelschatz and his team made some of the early high-resolution measurements of the current pulses associated with filaments and conducted simulations to elucidate the chemical processes taking place in DBD plasmas. On the engineering/technology side, he contributed to the development of DBD-based excimer lamps, to the optimization of DBD-based ozone generators and to many other advancements. His numerous papers on the physics and applications of DBD have educated a generation of researchers involved with such devices. I consider myself one of those students who learned a lot from him, both from his writings and from personal interaction. In this perspective, I first briefly summarize the working of barrier discharges and some of Kogelschatz’s contributions to this field. Then, I highlight some of the most valuable interactions I had the privilege to have with him, who I considered to be a mentor and a dear friend for many years. Please note that I use the formal title “Dr. Kogelschatz” in the title and sub-titles but in the text, I use Ulrich (or Uli) as that is how I addressed him in person.