Browsing by Author "Benilov, M. S."
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- 3D modelling of heating of thermionic cathodes by high-pressure arc plasmasPublication . Benilov, M. S.; Carpaij, M.; Cunha, M. D.Numerical investigation of steady-state interaction of a high-pressure argon plasma with a cylindrical tungsten cathode is reported. A whole ‘zoo’ of very diverse modes of current transfer is revealed. Detailed results are given for the first five (three-dimensional) 3D spot modes, four of them branching off from the diffuse mode and one from the first axially symmetric spot mode. Divergences in the general pattern of solutions, which have been present in preceding works, are resolved. Hypotheses on stability of steady-state solutions, available in the literature, are analysed. It is found that these hypotheses provide an explanation of the fact that the transition between diffuse and spot modes is difficult to reproduce in the experiment but they do not explain the indication that it is the low-voltage branch of the first 3D spot mode that seems to occur in the experiment. Thus, the question of stability of steady-state solutions remains open: an accurate stability analysis, as well as additional experimental information is required.
- Account of diffusion in local thermodynamic equilibrium and two-temperature plasma modelsPublication . Santos, D. F. N.; Lisnyak, M; Benilov, M. S.A self-consistent account of the effect of diffusion on charge transport in local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) and two-temperature (2T) ionization-equilibrium plasmas amounts to introducing into Ohm’s law, in addition to the conventional term proportional to the electric field (conduction current) and thermal-diffusion terms, also terms describing the diffusion due to plasma composition variations, which are proportional to the temperature gradient (or, in the case of 2T plasmas, to ∇Te and ∇Th) and to the plasma pressure gradient. These terms are calculated, with the use of the Stefan–Maxwell equations, for the particular case of 2T ionization-equilibrium atomic plasmas with singly charged ions. Also proposed is a simple way of approximate evaluation of reactive thermal conductivity in such plasmas. An online tool performing evaluation of the relevant coefficients for 2T argon, xenon, and mercury plasmas has been deployed on the internet. Representative modelling results show that the new form of Ohm’s law, when introduced into standard LTE or 2T models, may describe the electric field reversal in front of arc anodes, an effect that has been simulated previously only by means of (more complex) models taking into account deviations from ionization equilibrium.
- Account of near-cathode sheath in numerical models of high-pressure arc dischargesPublication . Benilov, M. S.; Almeida, N. A.; Baeva, M.; Cunha, M. D.; Benilova, L. G.; Uhrlandt, D.Three approaches to describing the separation of charges in near-cathode regions of highpressure arc discharges are compared. The first approach employs a single set of equations, including the Poisson equation, in the whole interelectrode gap. The second approach employs a fully non-equilibrium description of the quasi-neutral bulk plasma, complemented with a newly developed description of the space-charge sheaths. The third, and the simplest, approach exploits the fact that significant power is deposited by the arc power supply into the near-cathode plasma layer, which allows one to simulate the plasma–cathode interaction to the first approximation independently of processes in the bulk plasma. It is found that results given by the different models are generally in good agreement, and in some cases the agreement is even surprisingly good. It follows that the predicted integral characteristics of the plasma–cathode interaction are not strongly affected by details of the model provided that the basic physics is right.
- Analysing bifurcations encountered in numerical modelling of current transfer to cathodes of dc glow and arc dischargesPublication . Almeida, P. G. C.; Benilov, M. S.; Cunha, M. D.; Faria, M. J.Bifurcations and/or their consequences are frequently encountered in numerical modelling of current transfer to cathodes of gas discharges, also in apparently simple situations, and a failure to recognize and properly analyse a bifurcation may create difficulties in the modelling and hinder the understanding of numerical results and the underlying physics. This work is concerned with analysis of bifurcations that have been encountered in the modelling of steady-state current transfer to cathodes of glow and arc discharges. All basic types of steady-state bifurcations (fold, transcritical, pitchfork) have been identified and analysed. The analysis provides explanations to many results obtained in numerical modelling. In particular, it is shown that dramatic changes in patterns of current transfer to cathodes of both glow and arc discharges, described by numerical modelling, occur through perturbed transcritical bifurcations of first- and second-order contact. The analysis elucidates the reason why the mode of glow discharge associated with the falling section of the current–voltage characteristic in the solution of von Engel and Steenbeck seems not to appear in 2D numerical modelling and the subnormal and normal modes appear instead. A similar effect has been identified in numerical modelling of arc cathodes and explained.
- Analyzing spotless mode of current transfer to cathodes of metal-vapor arcsPublication . Benilov, M. S.; Benilova, L. G.The diffuse, or spotless, mode of current transfer has been observed on cathodes of vacuum arcs under conditions where the average cathode temperature was high enough, about 2000 K. It has been known for many years that none of the known mechanisms of current transfer to cathodes of vacuum arcs and, in particular, of the electron emission is capable of producing the current densities of the order of 105 - 106 Am-2 deduced from the experiment. A fresh attempt to clarify this question is made in this work. Cathodes made of chromium are considered, on which the most of the experiments have been performed. It is shown that an account of the difference between values of thermionic and photoelectric work functions given in the reference literature allows one to significantly reduce the deviation between the theory and the experiment. Unfortunately, data on thermionic work function available in the literature refer to the cathode surface temperatures below 1400 K, which is significantly smaller than measured temperatures of the chromium cathodes of vacuum arcs operating in the spotless mode. Therefore, further experimental data are needed in order to clarify this effect.
- Asymptotic theory of double layer and shielding of electric field at the edge of illuminated plasmaPublication . Benilov, M. S.; Thomas, D. M.The method of matched asymptotic expansions is applied to the problem of a collisionless plasma generated by UV illumination localized in a central part of the plasma in the limiting case of small Debye length ${\lambda}_D$. A second-approximation asymptotic solution is found for the double layer positioned at the boundary of the illuminated region and for the un-illuminated plasma for the plane geometry. Numerical calculations for different values of ${\lambda}_D$ are reported and found to confirm the asymptotic results. The net integral space charge of the double layer is asymptotically small, although in the plane geometry it is just sufficient to shield the ambipolar electric field existing in the illuminated region and thus to prevent it from penetrating into the un-illuminated region. The double layer has the same mathematical nature as the intermediate transition layer separating an active plasma and a collisionless sheath, and the underlying physics is also the same. In essence, the two layers represent the same physical object: a transonic layer.
- Bifurcation points in the theory of axially symmetric arc cathodesPublication . Benilov, M. S.; Cunha, M. D.Steady-state current transfer from arc plasmas to axially symmetric cathodes is treated in the framework of the model of nonlinear surface heating. An approach is developed to calculate the bifurcation points at which three-dimensional spot-mode solutions branch off from solutions describing the diffuse mode and axially symmetric spot modes. In particular, the first bifurcation point positioned on the diffuse-mode solution has been calculated, and thus its stability limit, i.e., the current below which the diffuse mode becomes unstable. Calculation results are given for the case of a tungsten cathode in the form of a circular cylinder in high pressure plasmas. The effect produced on the stability limit by variations of control parameters ~cathode dimensions, work function of the cathode material, plasma-producing gas, and its pressure! is studied and found to conform to trends observed experimentally. The stability limit is found to be much more sensitive to variations of control parameters than characteristics of the diffuse mode are, the strongest effect being pro duced by variations of cathode dimensions and of the work function of the cathode material. This finding conforms to the fact that the diffuse-spot transition is difficult to reproduce in the experiment.
- Bifurcations in the theory of current transfer to cathodes of dc discharges and observations of transitions between different modesPublication . Bieniek, M. S.; Santos, D.; Almeida, P. G. C.; Benilov, M. S.General scenarios of transitions between different spot patterns on electrodes of dc gas discharges and their relation to bifurcations of steady-state solutions are analyzed. In the case of cathodes of arc discharges, it is shown that any transition between different modes of current transfer is related to a bifurcation of steady-state solutions. In particular, transitions between diffuse and spot modes on axially symmetric cathodes, frequently observed in the experiment, represent an indication of the presence of pitchfork or fold bifurcations of steady-state solutions. Experimental observations of transitions on cathodes of dc glow microdischarges are analyzed and those potentially related to bifurcations of steady-state solutions are identified. The relevant bifurcations are investigated numerically and the computed patterns are found to conform to those observed in the course of the corresponding transitions in the experiment.
- Bifurcations of current transfer through a collisional sheath with ionization and self-organization on glow cathodesPublication . Benilov, M. S.A bifurcation analysis is performed of a dc glow discharge between parallel electrodes and of a dc near cathode space-charge sheath bordering a uniform plasma column. A model of plasma is considered with a single ion species and motion of the charged particles dominated by drift. Bifurcation points are found at which steady-state modes with spots on the cathode branch off from the abnormal mode or from the mode corre sponding to the falling section of the current-density–voltage characteristic. In both discharge configurations, bifurcations in the abnormal mode have been detected; an unexpected result given that loss of stability and pattern appearance in dc gas discharges are usually associated with a negative differential resistance of the discharge. The conclusion is drawn that the two most important mechanisms governing appearance of patterns on glow cathodes, which are electrostatic mechanism and diffusion, produce competing effects: the former favors appearance of modes with multiple spots, while the latter favors appearance of a mode with one spot. This may explain the appearance in experiments of a normal spot or, alternatively, of patterns with multiple spots.
- Comment on “Electric field measurements under DC corona discharges in ambient air by electric field induced second harmonic generation” [Appl. Phys. Lett. 115, 244101 (2019)]Publication . Ferreira, N. G. C.; Almeida, P. G. C.; Benilov, M. S.; Naidis, G. V.