Theory of Filamentary Plasma Array Formation in Microwave Breakdown at Near-Atmospheric Pressure

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Sang Ki Nam and John P. Verboncoeur
Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-1730 USA

Received 25 January 2009; published 31 July 2009

Recentlyreported observations of filamentation during high power microwaves breakdown ofnear-atmospheric pressure gas are explained using a one-dimensional fluid modelcoupled to a theoretical wave-plasma model. This self-consistent treatment allowsfor time-dependent effects, plasma growth and diffusion, and partial absorptionand reflection of waves. Simulation results, consistent with experiments, showthe evolution of the plasma filaments spaced less than one-quarterwavelength, the sequential discrete light emission propagating back toward thesource, and the diffusion and decay of the plasma. Themodel allows examination of many features not easily obtained experimentally,including dependence on field strength and frequency, pressure, and gascomposition, which influence the breakdown and emission properties, including thespacing and speed of propagation of the filaments.

URL:	http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.055004
DOI:	10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.055004
PACS:	52.80.Pi; 51.50.+v; 52.38.Hb; 52.40.Db 52.80.Pi High-frequency and RF discharges 51.50.+v Electrical properties of gases 52.38.Hb Self-focussing, channeling and filamentation in plasmas 52.40.Db Electromagnetic (nonlaser) radiation interactions with plasma YEAR: 2009

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