Numerical study of type-I intermittency in an atmospheric-pressure dielectric barrier discharge

Abstract

Atmospheric-pressure dielectric barrier discharge (AP-DBD) as a complex dissipative dynamical system exhibits rich temporal nonlinear and chaotic behavior. The intermittent chaos in AP-DBD, where the abrupt intensive currents break the regular periodic current oscillations during a discharge process, is studied by numerical simulation. By increasing the control parameter of applied voltage amplitude, random intensive currents occur more frequently, reducing the average laminar length (time interval of regular oscillations). It is found that the average laminar length depending on the control parameter follows the scaling law with an exponent of −0.5, implying a type-I intermittent discharge. This study further supplements and strengthens the nonlinear theory in plasma discharge.