STABILITY OF A HIGH-FREQUENCY GLOW DISCHARGE IN THE NORMAL COMBUSTION REGIME.

A high frequency glow discharge in its high current form differs from a dc discharge in that there is a significant decrease in the role of the pre-anode region in plasma generation, thus leading to greater stability. In a dc discharge the pre-anode current-voltage characteristic is falling, which causes electrodynamic instability of the plasma column and leads to its contraction over times much shorter than the thermal times. It is characteristic that conductivity in the volume of a dc discharge at moderate pressures is caused by drift of ions from the pre-anode region. The present study will present results of a numerical calculation of an hf discharge in nitrogen with consideration of space charge effects within the framework of a two-dimensional model and calculated the CVC of a plasma column with the diffusion-drift mechanism for maintenance of conductivity.