Effect of oxygen fraction in nitrogen/oxygen mixtures on primary and secondary streamers in atmospheric-pressure barrier discharge

Two-dimensional simulation of an atmospheric-pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) was performed with different oxygen fractions, [O-2](f), of 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 99% in N-2/O-2 gas to investigate their effects on the primary and secondary streamers. We simulated the optical emission intensity at different [O-2](f) and compared them with the experimental values. The simulation results indicate that [O-2](f) affects the ratio of the amount of the electron production from electron impact ionizations and a photoionization, resulting in the changes in the electric field at the tip of the streamer and that in the streamer channel.

Automated summary

In this study, a two-dimensional simulation was performed to investigate the effects of different oxygen fractions on primary and secondary streamers in an atmospheric-pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD). The simulation results indicate that the oxygen fraction affects the electric field at the tip of the streamer and the streamer channel.