title: Construction and test of a moving boundary model for negative streamer discharges.
abstract: Starting from the minimal model for the electrically interacting densities of electrons and ions in negative streamer discharges, we derive a moving boundary approximation for the ionization fronts. Solutions of the moving boundary model have already been discussed, but the derivation of the model was postponed to the present paper. The key ingredient of the model is the boundary condition on the moving front. It is found to be of kinetic undercooling type, and the relation to other moving boundary models is discussed. Furthermore, the model is compared to two-dimensional simulations of the underlying density model. The results suggest that our moving boundary approximation adequately represents the essential dynamics of negative streamer fronts.
authors: Centrum voor Wiskunde en Informatica (CWI), PO Box 94079, 1090 GB Amsterdam, Netherlands.
authors: Fabian
authors: F
authors: Brau
authors: Alejandro
authors: A
authors: Luque
authors: Bernard
authors: B
authors: Meulenbroek
authors: Ute
authors: U
authors: Ebert
authors: Lothar
authors: L
authors: Schäfer