Physics Commons^™

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’ …