Comparative Analysis of the Parameters of the Normal and Abnormal DC Glow Discharges

Abstract

Abstract A comparative numerical study of the parameters of normal and abnormal direct current glow discharges between two flat disk electrodes with a radius of 3 cm in a 1-cm-high electric discharge gap is performed. A two-dimensional axisymmetric drift-diffusion model of the glow discharge is used for the numerical simulation, including equations for the transfer of electrons and molecular nitrogen ions, and the Poisson equation for finding the electric potential in the discharge gap taking into account the regions of the space charge and the positive column. Abnormal discharges are obtained when the radius of the cathode decreases. A numerical procedure is proposed for smoothing local maxima of the electric field strength near the boundaries of the abnormal glow discharge cathode, which ensures the stability of the solution and the weak effect on the calculated data. The numerical simulation results of the electrodynamic structure of normal and abnormal glow discharges are presented.