Processes controlling properties of high-voltage nanosecond discharge plasma in combustible mixtures

We present the results of the experimental study of high-voltage nanosecond repetitively pulsed discharge and of its afterglow in ethane, dimethyl ether and their mixtures with oxygen. The measurements were made for room temperature and pressures from 2 to 6 Torr. The measured specific deposited energy and mean discharge current varied with the number of voltage pulses monotonously in ethane and dimethyl ether and nonmonotonously in the hydrocarbon:oxygen mixtures. A microwave interferometer was used for time-resolved electron density measurements in the discharge afterglow. The effective recombination coefficients were obtained from the analysis of the measured data. These coefficients varied with the number of voltage pulses monotonously in ethane and peaked in pure dimethyl ether and its mixture with oxygen. Possible mechanisms of the nonmonotonous behavior of the discharge characteristics were discussed.