Streamer radius model and its assessment using two-dimensional models

The variable radius method is proposed to approximate the radius of the ionization channel in the one and a half-dimensional (1.5-D) fluid models for studying streamer development, in which the unreasonable constant radius in the traditional 1.5-D fluid models is corrected. The streamer development and propagation between the 1.5-D fluid model with the variable radius method and the two-dimensional (2-D) fluid model using the same initial and external conditions are compared. The radius in each stage of streamer development from the 1.5-D fluid model with the variable radius method shows agreement to a certain degree with that of the 2-D fluid model. The purpose of this paper is not to negate the role of the 2-D fluid models, but to explore the potential of the 1.5-D fluid models and make them more useful and accurate as well as to understand the evolution of streamer radius. The streamer development from the 1.5-D fluid model with the variable radius method not only maintains simplicity of the 1.5-D fluid models, but also presents agreement with the 2-D fluid models for streamers.