Division of Environmental Physics - User: student
Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University Bratislava

Optical and Electrical Study of Transient Spark Discharge in Air

Janda M., Machala Z., Laux C.O.
Acta Physica Universitatis Comenianae L-LI, 85-93 (2010)

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Abstract:

We have investigated a novel type of streamer-to-spark transition discharge in air at atmospheric pressure named the transient spark (TS), applicable for flue gas cleaning or bio-decontamination. Despite the DC applied voltage, TS has a pulsed character with short (<100 ns) high current (>1 A) pulses, with repetitive frequencies of a few kHz. The emission of N2 2nd and 1st positive, N2+ 1st negative, and atomic N and O lines, was detected. The non-equilibrium character of TS was confirmed by calculated vibrational (3 000-5 000 K) and rotational (500-1 500 K) temperatures. Additionally, temporal emission profiles were obtained using PMT measurements.