Plasma morphology under nanosecond repetitively pulsed discharges with air cross-flow: A simulation study
Abstract
Nanosecond repetitively pulsed discharges in air cross-flows exhibit distinct plasma morphologies that can expand the spatial extent of bulk plasma regions and increase the residence time of reactive radicals within the flow field. This work develops a high-fidelity plasma-fluid simulation framework within OpenFOAM that couples drift-diffusion-convection transport, electrostatic potential, photoionization, mixture-averaged transport, ambipolar diffusion, and a local mean electron energy formulation. Using this framework, we systematically investigate plasma morphologies under air cross-flow velocities of 40 and 100 m/s at a repetition frequency of 50 kHz. The simulations show that lower cross-flow velocities promote plasma retention within previously formed channels, resulting in substantial thermal accumulation. In contrast, at higher cross-flow velocities, plasma is rapidly convected downstream, reducing retention between pulses and weakening thermal accumulation. The simulations further reveal the mechanisms responsible for snap-back, in which a subsequent discharge shifts from a previously formed channel to a shorter and more direct path between the electrodes as the conductivity of the previous channel decreases. As a strong electric field develops between the electrodes, electrons are accelerated and intense Joule heating occurs near the anode tip. This process increases the local electron energy, enhances electron production, and generates a stronger discharge current. As the conductivity of the previous channel decreases, the discharge consequently establishes a new path of least resistance directly between the electrodes.
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BibTeX
@misc{shim2026plasma,
title = {{Plasma morphology under nanosecond repetitively pulsed discharges with air cross-flow: A simulation study}},
author = {Gihun Shim and Praise Noah Johnson and Taaresh Sanjeev Taneja and Suo Yang},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2610.31773},
eprint = {2610.31773},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.31773},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Plasma morphology under nanosecond repetitively pulsed discharges with air cross-flow: A simulation study
AU - Gihun Shim
AU - Praise Noah Johnson
AU - Taaresh Sanjeev Taneja
AU - Suo Yang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/22
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2610.31773
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.31773
AB - Nanosecond repetitively pulsed discharges in air cross-flows exhibit distinct plasma morphologies that can expand the spatial extent of bulk plasma regions and increase the residence time of reactive radicals within the flow field. This work develops a high-fidelity plasma-fluid simulation framework within OpenFOAM that couples drift-diffusion-convection transport, electrostatic potential, photoionization, mixture-averaged transport, ambipolar diffusion, and a local mean electron energy formulation. Using this framework, we systematically investigate plasma morphologies under air cross-flow velocities of 40 and 100 m/s at a repetition frequency of 50 kHz. The simulations show that lower cross-flow velocities promote plasma retention within previously formed channels, resulting in substantial thermal accumulation. In contrast, at higher cross-flow velocities, plasma is rapidly convected downstream, reducing retention between pulses and weakening thermal accumulation. The simulations further reveal the mechanisms responsible for snap-back, in which a subsequent discharge shifts from a previously formed channel to a shorter and more direct path between the electrodes as the conductivity of the previous channel decreases. As a strong electric field develops between the electrodes, electrons are accelerated and intense Joule heating occurs near the anode tip. This process increases the local electron energy, enhances electron production, and generates a stronger discharge current. As the conductivity of the previous channel decreases, the discharge consequently establishes a new path of least resistance directly between the electrodes.
ER -