Modelling of atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharges with emphasis on stability issues

The properties of a barrier discharge in nitrogen near the transition from the Townsend mode to the filamentary mode are studied on the basis of a two-dimensional fluid model. The formation of an intermediate mode (multipeak Townsend discharge) is discussed. The surface processes (ion–electron emission and photoemission) and the positive volume charge are proposed as the mechanisms of formation of a multipeak mode. It is shown that the Townsend mode is stable relative to radial fluctuations, whereas the glow mode is unstable and turns into a filamentary mode. The development of a radial fluctuation into a filament is demonstrated. The homogeneity of the barrier discharge depends on the barrier material. In particular, the widening of the stability region for the discharge with low-permittivity barriers is proved.