Streamer dynamics and charge self‐erasing of two counter‐propagating plasmas in repetitively pulsed surface dielectric barrier discharge

Abstract The streamer dynamics and charge self‐erasing of two counter‐propagating plasmas generated by repetitively pulsed surface dielectric barrier discharge are investigated using electrical and optical diagnosis, and a two‐dimensional fluid model. Three distinct discharge phases of primary, transitional and secondary streamers are identified in a single‐pulse discharge through the time‐resolved plasma images. Moreover, a merging phenomenon of the two opposing primary streamers is observed at the middle position of the discharge gap. Compared to the first pulse, a low streamer propagation velocity of the primary streamer is measured during the subsequent discharge process due to the limitation of residual surface charges left by the previous discharge. No significant differences of the transferred charge and the deposited energy are obtained in the sequential pulses at a discharge gap of 9 mm. Numerical simulations show that a reduction for the plasma intensity of the approached two primary streamers is attributed by the accumulated charge on the dielectric surface and gathered positive charges in the streamer head. Numerical and experimental studies indicate that the residual charges can be erased by the secondary streamer through the drifted electrons, namely that a phenomenon of charge self‐erasing can be realized in the individual pulse.