Positive streamers in ambient air and a N2:O2-mixture (99.8 : 0.2)

TL;DR

This study compares positive streamer discharges in ambient air and a nitrogen-oxygen mixture, revealing differences in branching, propagation, and morphology that impact their behavior and characteristics.

Contribution

It provides detailed visual and qualitative analysis of streamer differences in air versus a N2:O2 mixture, highlighting how composition affects streamer morphology and dynamics.

Findings

Streamers in the mixture branch more frequently.

Streamers in the mixture propagate in a zigzag manner.

Streamers in the mixture are longer, thinner, and more intense.

Abstract

Photographs show distinct differences between positive streamers in air or in a nitrogen-oxygen mixture (0.2% O2). The streamers in the mixture branch more frequently, but the branches also extinguish more easily. Probably related to that, the streamers in the mixture propagate more in a zigzag manner while they are straighter in air. Furthermore, streamers in the mixture can become longer; they are thinner and more intense.