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P: Plasmaphysik

P 24: Entladungen (Poster)

P 24.19: Poster

Monday, March 9, 1998, 18:00–20:00, P 2

Plasma Cathodes for High Pressure Glow Discharges — •Robert Stark — Physical Electronics Research Institute, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA

Instabilities, particularly the glow to arc transition are major obstacles for operation of atmospheric glow discharges. In order to operate glow discharges at atmospheric pressure we use microhollow electrode discharges (MHED) as stabilizing elements in the cathode fall region. MHE discharges are gas discharges between closely spaced (submillimeter) electrodes containing openings with diameter D on the same order as the electrode gap. Studies in various gases have shown that dc-operation of microhollow electrode discharges is possible up to atmospheric pressure. With forward voltages in the range of 200 to 400 volts the discharge current is between tens of microA and several mA. Recent results and applications are presented.

This work is supported by the Air Force Office for Scientific Research.