Dark phase effect in the evolution of the positive column of a glow discharge in nitrogen

Dyatko, N. A.; Ionikh, Yu. Z.; Meshchanov, A. V.; Napartovich, A. P.; Shishpanov, A. I.

doi:10.1134/s1063780x11050035

Cited by 12 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…It could therefore be assumed that a similar effect must also occur in nitrogen. It was indeed obtained in [118] (Figs. 40 and 41).…”

Section: The Discharge After the Passage Of An Ionization Wavesupporting

confidence: 57%

Electric Breakdown in Long Discharge Tubes at Low Pressure (Review)

Ionikh

2020

Plasma Phys. Rep.

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The review is devoted to studies of the processes and mechanisms of ignition of a glow discharge in tubes whose length significantly exceeds their diameter (long discharge tubes) at low pressures (~10 Torr and lower) and moderate voltage rise rates (~1 kV/μs and lower). The electric field in such tubes before a breakdown is substantially nonuniform. Therefore, a breakdown occurs after an ionization wave (or waves) passes through the discharge gap at a speed of ~105–107 cm/s. This makes the characteristics of the breakdown in long tubes significantly different from the breakdown between large and closely spaced electrodes, where the electric field is uniform before the breakdown and where the Townsend or, under strong overvoltage, streamer mechanism is realized. On the other hand, the nature of these processes is very different from those occurring in nanosecond discharges, which arise at voltages with a steepness of ~1 kV/ns and higher and are associated with high-speed (~109 cm/s) ionization waves. The review is based on the materials of experimental and computational works published from 1938 to 2020. Breakdown processes, optical and electrical characteristics of the discharge gap during breakdown, and the influence of the external circuit parameters and external actions (shielding and illumination by external sources of visible radiation) are analyzed.

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“…It could therefore be assumed that a similar effect must also occur in nitrogen. It was indeed obtained in [118] (Figs. 40 and 41).…”

Section: The Discharge After the Passage Of An Ionization Wavesupporting

confidence: 57%

Electric Breakdown in Long Discharge Tubes at Low Pressure (Review)

Ionikh

2020

Plasma Phys. Rep.

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“…The latter regime appears to be similar to that reported in Refs. [6][7][8][9]. Typical space-time diagrams for both regimes are presented in Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We note that in simulations the RF peak-to-peak voltage was kept constant, whereas in experiments, where the discharge is a part of a real electrical circuit, steadiness of the peak-to-peak voltage cannot be guaranteed: a dramatic increase of the electron density inside the discharge gap causes significant drop of the discharge active resistance, leading to voltage redistribution in the circuit. Such a mechanism is responsible for the formation of a dark phase during the ignition of dc glow discharges [6][7][8][9]. Our experiment is also not completely free from this effect.…”

Section: B Dark Phasementioning

confidence: 86%

“…Refs. [8,9] attribute similar features to the kinetics of metastable atoms, which is not considered in our simulations.…”

Section: B Dark Phasementioning

confidence: 94%

“…[6,7], who were the first to combine a classical dc glow discharge in a glass tube with a short highvoltage pulse, reported on the so-called "glow pause" (or "dark phase", as it was termed later in Refs. 8,9) -a period of time after the pulse when the discharge becomes practically dark. Later, several experiments were reported, in which high-voltage nanosecond pulses were used to manipulate the dust particles levitating in weak low-pressure discharges [10][11][12][13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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High-voltage nanosecond pulses in a low-pressure radio-frequency discharge

et al. 2013

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An influence of a high-voltage (3−17 kV) 20 ns pulse on a weakly-ionized low-pressure (0.1−10 Pa) capacitively-coupled radiofrequency (RF) argon plasma is studied experimentally. The plasma evolution after pulse exhibits two characteristic regimes: a bright flash, occurring within 100 ns after the pulse (when the discharge emission increases by 2-3 orders of magnitude over the steady-state level), and a dark phase, lasting a few hundreds µs (when the intensity of the discharge emission drops significantly below the steady-state level). The electron density increases during the flash and remains very large at the dark phase. 1D3V particle-in-cell simulations qualitatively reproduce both regimes and allow for detailed analysis of the underlying mechanisms. It is found that the high-voltage nanosecond pulse is capable of removing a significant fraction of plasma electrons out of the discharge gap, and that the flash is the result of the excitation of gas atoms, triggered by residual electrons accelerated in the electric field of immobile bulk ions. The secondary emission from the electrodes due to vacuum UV radiation plays an important role at this stage. High-density plasma generated during the flash provides efficient screening of the RF field (which sustains the steady-state plasma). This leads to the electron cooling and, hence, onset of the dark phase.

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Processes of discharge ignition in long tubes at low gas pressure

Shishpanov¹,

Meshchanov²,

Kalinin³

et al. 2017

Plasma Sources Sci. Technol.

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Electrical breakdown resulting in the ignition of a low-pressure low-current glow discharge is investigated in long (length much larger than the diameter) tubes. New features characterizing the breakdown are found. Breakdown begins with synchronous sharp drop of the anode voltage and the peak in the anode current, which is not accompanied by the current at the grounded cathode. This proves the existence of the first (initial) breakdown occurring between the highvoltage electrode and the nearby section of the tube wall. Simultaneously, an ionization wave starts from the anode. The cathode current initiates noticeably later, at the moment when the ionization wave reaches the cathode. The distribution of the breakdown statistic delay time is governed by the Laue law. This study has revealed a profound effect on the breakdown of illumination of the tubes by visible-spectrum light. Illumination diminishes the average breakdown delay time; for the breakdown mode when breakdown occurs at the pulse leading edge this leads to a decrease in the average breakdown voltage. The long-wavelength threshold of the effect is 520 nm. Electron photodesorption from the wall surface is supposed to be the mechanism of the effect. Quantum efficiency for this process is 0.6×10 −9 . Unlike in most previous studies, all the measurements were carried out with unshielded tubes; screening of the tube by a grounded shield has a strong influence on the breakdown characteristics.

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Dark phase effect in the evolution of the positive column of a glow discharge in nitrogen

Cited by 12 publications

References 28 publications

Electric Breakdown in Long Discharge Tubes at Low Pressure (Review)

Electric Breakdown in Long Discharge Tubes at Low Pressure (Review)

High-voltage nanosecond pulses in a low-pressure radio-frequency discharge

Processes of discharge ignition in long tubes at low gas pressure

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