Formation and decay mechanisms of excimer molecules in dielectric barrier discharges

The excimer formation and decay processes are experimentally analysed in a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD). Special interest is was paid to the discharge structure and the processes occurring in different discharge areas in a filamentary microdischarge. In order to perform spatially resolved measurements of the time dependence of the excimer radiation a single discharge configuration is used. The mechanisms of excimer formation are shown to depend on the discharge areas. From the measured time dependence of radiation the temporal evolution of species involved, such as molecular, metastable and ionic states, are determined.