title: Spontaneous pattern formation in an effectively one-dimensional dielectric-barrier discharge system
abstract: In a dielectric-barrier discharge between diametrically opposite sides of a narrow tube, discharge filaments stabilize at regular intervals along the tube's length. Three types of periodic patterns are observed, as is a disordered state in which filaments fire at apparently random positions and times. Time-resolved current measurements indicate that for each spatial pattern, a particular number of discharge stages occur during the voltage half-cycle. A preliminary model of the pattern-formation dynamics is described, motivating further work on time-resolved imaging and investigations of surface charge distributions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546, USA.
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guikema
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Niehof
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walhout