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Full-Text Articles in Physics

Predicted Properties Of Microhollow Cathode Discharges In Xenon, J. P. Boeuf, L. C. Pitchford, K. H. Schoenbach Jan 2005

Predicted Properties Of Microhollow Cathode Discharges In Xenon, J. P. Boeuf, L. C. Pitchford, K. H. Schoenbach

Bioelectrics Publications

A fluid model has been developed and used to help clarify the physical mechanisms occurring in microhollow cathode discharges (MHCD). Calculated current-voltage (I-V) characteristics and gas temperatures in xenon at 100 Torr are presented. Consistent with previous experimental results in similar conditions, we find a voltage maximum in the I-V characteristic. We show that this structure reflects a transition between a low-current, abnormal discharge localized inside the cylindrical hollow cathode to a higher-current, normal glow discharge sustained by electron emission from the outer surface of the cathode. This transition, due to the geometry of …


Cluster Issue On Microplasmas, Kurt H. Becker, J. Gary Eden, Karl H. Schoenbach Jan 2005

Cluster Issue On Microplasmas, Kurt H. Becker, J. Gary Eden, Karl H. Schoenbach

Bioelectrics Publications

Atmospheric-pressure diffuse discharge plasmas are susceptible to instabilities and, in particular, to arcing (the glow-to-arc transition). Some of the most promising approaches to ‘stabilizing’ atmospheric-pressure plasmas are based on the recognition that arc formation can be avoided when the plasmas are generated and maintained in spatially constricted geometries with dimensions from tens to hundreds of microns. Known as microplasmas or microdischarges, these weakly-ionized discharges represent a new and fascinating realm of plasma science in which several scientific issues, such as the potential breakdown of pd scaling and the role of boundary-based phenomena, come to the fore. In contrast to ‘macroplasmas’ …