Characteristics of the effect of an impulse supply voltage on the structure and characteristics of a surface discharge

Results of an experimental investigation of surface barrier discharge in a three-electrode system are presented. An analysis is done of the flow intensity of charged species extracted from the plasma layer of the surface discharge by the field of high dc potential of the third electrode. A high unipolar periodic impulse voltage of 15-kHz frequency, impulse duration from 0.5 to 45 ms, and 150-ns impulse-front duration is used to form the surface discharge. A It is revealed that the voltage-impulse duration has a significant effect on the intensity of charged species flow (extracted current), the character of the influence being dependent on the voltage-impulse polarity. The influence of voltage-impulse duration on the surface-discharge current is revealed as well. Pictures of the structure of surface discharge at the rise and the fall of the voltage impulse made by means of a high-speed camera are presented. The difference of the discharge structure for different polarities of voltage impulse is revealed. It is suggested that the surface-discharge characteristics are dependent on a combination of a number of factors, such as the parameters of the impulse voltage, volume charge in the gas gap, and the charge on the barrier surface, as well as the material and surface structure of the barrier.