Influence of longitudinal argon flow on DC glow discharge at atmospheric pressure

A one-dimensional self-consistent fluid model was employed to investigate the influence of longitudinal argon flow on the DC glow discharge at atmospheric pressure. It is found that the charges exhibit distinct dynamic behaviors at different argon flow velocities, accompanied by a considerable change in the discharge structure. The positive argon flow allows for the reduction of charge densities in the positive column and negative glow regions, and even leads to the disappearance of negative glow. The negative argon flow gives rise to the enhancement of charge densities in the positive column and negative glow regions. These observations are attributed to the fact that the gas flow convection influences the transport of charges through different manners by comparing the argon flow velocity with the ion drift velocity. The findings are important for improving the chemical activity and work efficiency of the plasma source by controlling the gas flow in practical applications. (C) 2016 The Japan Society of Applied Physics