title: Mechanism of branching in negative ionization fronts.
abstract: When a strong electric field is applied to nonconducting matter, narrow channels of plasma called streamers may form. Branchlike patterns of streamers have been observed in anode directed discharges. We explain a mechanism for branching as the result of a balance between the destabilizing effect of impact ionization and the stabilizing effect of electron diffusion on ionization fronts. The dispersion relation for transversal perturbation of a planar negative front is obtained analytically when the ratio D between the electron diffusion coefficient and the intensity of the externally imposed electric field is small. We estimate the spacing lambda between streamers and deduce a scaling law lambda approximately D(1/3).
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Matemáticas y Física Aplicadas y Ciencias de la Naturaleza, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arrayás
authors.forename: Marco A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Fontelos
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Trueba