Spatially resolved surface-charge measurement in a planar dielectric-barrier discharge system.

We investigate a laterally extended dielectric helium discharge system with plane electrodes. The system is operated in the glow mode and is known to exhibit a rich variety of self-organized lateral patterns in the current distribution, most of them being filamentary. It is known from theory that surface charges on the dielectrics play a major role for the emerging patterns. In this work we present a method to measure the spatial charge distribution on the dielectrics via the Pockels effect of a bismuth-silicon-oxide crystal. The experimental results of the surface-charge distribution measurements are in good agreement with previous numerical solutions of the corresponding transport equations.

Measurement and 3D simulation of self-organized filaments in a barrier discharge.

We report on pattern formation phenomena in the filamentary dielectric barrier discharge between plane glass electrodes. It is for the first time that a three-dimensional (3D) self-organized glow pattern was both observed in an actual experiment and directly calculated in a full 3D discharge simulation in a quantitative manner. Specifically, we investigate the genesis of periodic patterns during the first breakdowns. Despite our simple drift-diffusion discharge model, the correspondence of experimental and numerical findings is surprisingly good.

Breathing dissipative solitons in three-component reaction-diffusion system.

We investigate the stability of the localized stationary solutions of a three-component reaction-diffusion system with one activator and two inhibitors. A change of the time constants of the inhibitors can lead to a destabilization of the stationary solution. The special case we are interested in is that the breathing mode becomes unstable first and the stationary dissipative soliton undergoes a bifurcation from a stationary to a "breathing" state. This situation is analyzed performing a two-time-scale expansion in the vicinity of the bifurcation point thereby obtaining the corresponding amplitude equation. Also numerical simulations are carried out showing good agreement with the analytical predictions.

Ionization fronts in planar dc discharge systems with high-ohmic electrode.

Electric breakdown and ionization fronts are considered theoretically in a sandwich-like dc discharge system consisting of two plane-parallel electrodes and a gaseous gap in between. The key system feature is a high-ohmic cathode opposite to an ordinary metal anode. Such systems have received much attention from experimental studies because they naturally support current patterns. Using adiabatic description of electrons and two-scale expansion we demonstrate that in the low-current Townsend mode the discharge is governed by a two-component reaction-diffusion system. The latter provides quantitative system description on the macroscopic time scale (i.e., much larger than the ion travel time). The breakdown appears as an instability of the uniform overvoltage state. A seed current fluctuation triggers a shock-like ionization front that propagates along the discharge plane with constant speed (typically approximately 10(4) cm/s). Depending on the cathode resistivity the front exhibits either monotonic or oscillatory behavior in space. Other breakdown features, such as damping transient oscillations of the global current, can also be found as solutions of the reaction-diffusion equations.

Rotating hexagonal pattern in a dielectric barrier discharge system.

Here, we report on the experimental observation of a rotating hexagonal pattern in a continuous dissipative medium. The system under investigation is a planar dielectric barrier gas-discharge cell. The pattern consists of a set of current filaments occupying the whole discharge area and rotating as a rigid body. The symmetry of the rotating hexagons is lower than the symmetry of the stationary hexagonal pattern. We study the dynamics of the pattern, especially peculiarities of its rotational velocity. The temperature of the gas is found to be an important quantity influencing the rotating hexagons.

Role of surface charges in dc gas-discharge systems with high-ohmic electrodes.

Surface charge of the electrodes is investigated for planar dc gas-discharge systems. Both analytical estimates and experimental data show that such a charge plays an important role for the dc systems with a high-ohmic electrode. This is demonstrated by several experiments concerning discharge establishment and pattern formation phenomena. The surface charge has an inhibitory role, as it diminishes the electric field in the gas. Due to the low mobility of the surface charges, their distribution can be nonuniform giving rise to the observable filamentary structure of the discharge. It is also shown that the surface charge effect can be naturally incorporated in existing phenomenological models of the planar discharge. Thereby one can explain several observable phenomena, such as stability, multiplicity, and motion of the localized structures.

Concentric-ring patterns in a dielectric barrier discharge system.

We report on the first experimental observation of a concentric-ring pattern in a short planar dielectric barrier gas-discharge system and study its spatiotemporal behavior. While increasing the gas pressure the destabilization of the rings into a filamentary structure is observed. The charge carriers deposited on the dielectric electrodes determine the spatiotemporal behavior of the pattern.

Noise-covered drift bifurcation of dissipative solitons in a planar gas-discharge system.

The trajectories of propagating self-organized, well-localized solitary patterns (dissipative solitons) in the form of electrical current filaments are experimentally investigated in a planar quasi-two-dimensional dc gas-discharge system with high Ohmic semiconductor barrier. Earlier phenomenological models qualitatively describing the experimental observations in terms of a particle model predict a transition from stationary filaments to filaments traveling with constant finite speed due to an appropriate change of the system parameters. This prediction motivates a search for a drift bifurcation in the experimental system, but a direct comparison of experimentally recorded trajectories with theoretical predictions is impossible due to the strong influence of noise. To solve this problem, the filament dynamics is modeled using an appropriate Langevin equation, allowing for the application of a stochastic data analysis technique to separate deterministic and stochastic parts of the dynamics. Simulations carried out with the particle model demonstrate the efficiency of the method. Applying the technique to the experimentally recorded trajectories yields good agreement with the predictions of the model equations. Finally, the predicted drift bifurcation is found using the semiconductor resistivity as control parameter. In the resulting bifurcation diagram, the square of the equilibrium velocity scales linearly with the control parameter.

Multioscillatory patterns in a hybrid semiconductor gas-discharge system.

A planar pattern forming semiconductor gas-discharge device is examined. While being driven with a stationary voltage, it generates patterns that contain domains oscillating with different frequencies. The multioscillatory pattern is formed in a sequence of bifurcations from the homogeneous stationary state. A nonlinear interaction between different parts of the pattern can be detected. It is suggested that the observed behavior is due to the coupling of processes in two nonlinear components, the gas-discharge gap and the semiconductor cathode fabricated from high resistance gallium arsenide.

Solitary current-density patterns in thin ZnS:Mn films

We experimentally investigate pattern formation phenomena in the electroluminescence of ac-driven ZnS:Mn thin films. Under suitable driving conditions, certain samples show a broad spectrum of patterns, which ranges from stationary filamentary distributions to traveling fronts and pulses. We present a survey of the bifurcation scenarios, choosing the frequency and amplitude of the driving voltage as bifurcation parameters. Moreover, we investigate the influence of the temperature on the dissipative current and pattern formation. The experimental results are used to identify activating and inhibiting processes, and a pattern formation mechanism based on autocatalysis and lateral inhibition is suggested.

Nonlinear interaction of homogeneously oscillating domains in a planar gas discharge system

A planar dc gas discharge system with a high Ohmic semiconductor cathode is investigated with respect to temporal destabilization of the stationary homogeneous state. A subcritical Hopf bifurcation is observed, leading to a spatial homogeneous oscillation. The dependence of the oscillator's properties on control parameters is investigated. By applying spatial nonuniform optical control of the semiconductor cathode, several domains that may oscillate on different frequencies can be created. These spatially homogeneous domains can interact with each other through common boundaries. By adjusting the strength of coupling of the domains, their interaction can be controlled. In this interaction, regularities have been found that are, in some aspects, similar to those observed in externally driven nonlinear oscillators.

Dynamics of zigzag destabilized solitary stripes in a dc-driven pattern-forming semiconductor gas-discharge system

Zigzag destabilization of self-organized solitary stripes was detected recently in the current density of a planar semiconductor gas discharge system. In the present work it is revealed that this instability is accompanied by the propagation of the zigzag deformation along the body of a stripe. This phenomenon is quantitatively analyzed using a high-speed image acquisition technique based on a framing camera system. The velocity of propagation has been found to increase monotonously with the global electric current, while the characteristic wavelength of the pattern shows a complicated behavior. The connection of the obtained data to available results of theoretical analysis of secondary bifurcations of solitary stripes in reaction-diffusion media is considered.