Diffusion correction to the avalanche--to--streamer transition

Abstract

Space-charge dominated streamer discharges can emerge in free space from single electrons. We reinvestigate the Raether-Meek criterion and show that streamer emergence depends not only on ionization and attachment rates and gap length, but also on electron diffusion. Motivated by simulation results, we derive an explicit quantitative criterion for the avalanche-to-streamer transition both for pure non-attaching gases and for air, under the assumption that the avalanche emerges from a single free electron and evolves in a homogenous field.

24 pages, 8 figures, submitted to J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys

References in corpus (5)

• The multiscale nature of streamers
• Propagation and Structure of Planar Streamer Fronts
• Branching of negative streamers in free flight
• Numerical convergence of the branching time of negative streamers
• Streamer branching rationalized by conformal mapping techniques

Cited by in corpus (16)

• The physics of streamer discharge phenomena
• Positive and negative streamers in ambient air: modeling evolution and velocities
• An adaptive grid refinement strategy for the simulation of negative streamers
• Deviations from the local field approximation in negative streamer heads
• Streamers, sprites, leaders, lightning: from micro- to macroscales
• A comparison of 3D particle, fluid and hybrid simulations for negative streamers
• High order fluid model for streamer discharges: I. Derivation of model and transport data
• A time scale for electrical screening in pulsed gas discharges
• Avalanche to streamer transition in particle simulations
• Construction and test of a moving boundary model for negative streamer discharges
• Dielectric Strength of Noble and Quenched Gases for High Pressure Time Projection Chambers
• Investigation of positive streamers in CO${}_2$: experiments and 3D particle-in-cell simulations
• Standing shock prevents propagation of sparks in supersonic explosive flows
• Investigating CO${}_2$ streamer inception in repetitive pulsed discharges
• Moving boundary approximation for curved streamer ionization fronts: Solvability analysis
• Transmission and multiple reflection mechanisms of guided streamers propagating through grounded annular electrode and interacting with grounded surface electrode