Stable sound wave generation in weakly ionized air medium

TL;DR

This paper investigates how sound waves can be generated in weakly ionized air near electrical breakdown, emphasizing the role of instantaneous ionization equilibrium and electronegative ions.

Contribution

It demonstrates the possibility of sound generation in weakly ionized air due to instantaneous ionization equilibrium within a hydrodynamic model, considering electronegative ions.

Findings

Sound can be generated near electrical breakdown in weakly ionized air.

Electronegative ions influence the sound intensity.

Instantaneous ionization equilibrium is key to sound generation.

Abstract

We consider the generation of sound waves in the air medium between electrodes at the voltages near electrical breakdown in the presence of the time dependent constituent of the electric field. Within the standard multicomponent hydrodynamic model of the weakly ionized gas it is shown that the generation of sound is possible due to instantaneous character of the ionization equilibrium. The influence of the electronegative ions on the sound intensity is also discussed.