Abstract
A Two-dimensional simulation of the atmospheric pressure needle-plane streamer discharge is presented in this paper. The model consists of three continuity equations for electrons and ions coupled with Poisson’s equation. Photon flux was estimated by the impact of the ionization reactions. The distributions of the electric field and photon flux from the primary streamer to the secondary streamer are discussed, where velocity of the primary streamer was 2.16×105 m/s and the radius of the filament of the secondary streamer varied from 0.012 cm to 0.02 cm. The variation in photon flux was similar to that of the electric field. When the streamer was close to the cathode, the photon flux exponentially increased from 4.5×1026 m-3s-1 to 2.42×1028 m-3s-1. The secondary streamer was similar to a uniform filament because of a uniform electric field.
Highlights
Positive streamers are bright plasma filaments that propagate rapidly from anode to cathode at high voltage
The positive ions left by electron avalanches negated the electric field inside the streamer channel and enhanced the field at the streamer head, which propagated to the cathode when the voltage was high enough
When the primary streamer arrived at the cathode, spatial charge in the streamer channel was redistributed, and the high photon flux and electric field near the cathode generated a large number of ions and electrons near the cathode by photoionization
Summary
Positive streamers are bright plasma filaments that propagate rapidly from anode to cathode at high voltage They are often observed in the gas discharge of high-voltage insulation equipment. In 1983, Sigmond studied the development of the secondary streamer in the axis field of the point-to-plane gaps in ambient air. In 2001, Georghiou and Morrow studied streamer propagation and the evolution of current in a 0.1-cm parallel-plane gap in air under atmospheric pressure. They noted that the photoemission mechanism might have caused a delay in streamer propagation. Because photoionization is the main source of producing electrons to sustain a positive streamer discharge, this paper focuses on the distribution of photons and variations in it with time. The results of the simulation are discussed, and the different properties of the primary and secondary streamers are presented
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