Turing structures in dc gas discharges

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that self-organized plasma structures, such as plasma balls of fire, are mathematically analogous to biological Turing structures and are related to negative differential resistance in plasma diodes.

Contribution

It introduces an analytical mesoscopic model linking plasma Turing structures with negative differential resistance, providing mathematical conditions for their formation.

Findings

Plasma balls of fire are classified as Turing structures.

Existence of these structures is mathematically linked to negative differential resistance.

Conditions for stationary plasma structures are established.

Abstract

Self-organized spatial plasma structures exhibit many similarities with Turing structures obtained in biology and chemistry. Using an analytical mesoscopic approach it is shown that plasma balls of fire belong to the same class of Turing structures like the Brusselator. It is also mathematically proved that the existence of these self-organized plasma structures is related with a negative differential resistance. There are also established the mathematical conditions which the negative differential resistance must satisfy for obtaining a stationary ball of fire at the anode of a plasma diode.