title: Complex dynamics of a dc glow discharge tube: Experimental modeling and stability diagrams.
abstract: We report a detailed experimental study of the complex behavior of a dc low-pressure plasma discharge tube of the type commonly used in commercial illuminated signs, in a microfluidic chip recently proposed for visible analog computing, and other practical devices. Our experiments reveal a clear quasiperiodicity route to chaos, the two competing frequencies being the relaxation frequency and the plasma eigenfrequency. Based on an experimental volt-ampere characterization of the discharge, we propose a macroscopic model of the current flowing in the plasma. The model, governed by four autonomous ordinary differential equations, is used to compute stability diagrams for periodic oscillations of arbitrary period in the control parameter space of the discharge. Such diagrams show self-pulsations to emerge remarkably organized into intricate mosaics of stability phases with extended regions of multistability (overlap). Specific mosaics are predicted for the four dynamical variables of the discharge. Their experimental observation is an open challenge.
authors: Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Largo E. Fermi 6, 50125 Firenze, Italy.
authors: Eugenio
authors: E
authors: Pugliese
authors: 1] Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Largo E. Fermi 6, 50125 Firenze, Italy [2] Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, 58051-970 João Pessoa, Brazil.
authors: Riccardo
authors: R
authors: Meucci
authors: Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Largo E. Fermi 6, 50125 Firenze, Italy.
authors: Stefano
authors: S
authors: Euzzor
authors: 1] Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, 58051-970 João Pessoa, Brazil [2] CELC, Departamento de Matemática, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal.
authors: Joana G
authors: JG
authors: Freire
authors: 1] Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Largo E. Fermi 6, 50125 Firenze, Italy [2] Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, 58051-970 João Pessoa, Brazil [3] CELC, Departamento de Matemática, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal [4] Instituto de Altos Estudos da Paraíba, Rua Infante Dom Henrique 100-1801, 58039-150 João Pessoa, Brazil [5] Max-Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Nöthnitzer Str. 38, 01187 Dresden, Germany.
authors: Jason A C
authors: JA
authors: Gallas