Numerical Study of Ar/O2 Discharge Properties Influenced by Small Secondary Electron Emission in Dual-Frequency Atmospheric Pressure Discharge

Abstract

A one-dimensional fluid model was employed to investigate the influence of the small secondary electron emission (SEE) coefficient on the characteristic properties of an Ar/O2 gas discharge at atmospheric pressure driven by a dual frequency source. The study includes basic physical quantities such as particle density, electron temperature, the electron heating mechanism, and energy loss. The research results illustrate that with an increase in the secondary electron emission coefficient, the electron density increases, while electron temperature and electric field decrease. The densities of various particles increase to different degrees, except for the metastable O2* molecule and the O atom. The density of the metastable O2* molecule and the density of the O atom are hardly affected by the SEE coefficient; however, the time required for both to reach steady state decreases. The time required for the electron density to reach steady state increases. Electron heating and energy loss increase to varying degrees when the SEE coefficient changes from 0.001 to 0.01.