Experimental studies of breakdown characteristics in pulse-modulated radio-frequency atmospheric discharge

The influences of the pulse off-time on the breakdown voltage of the first pulse and the stable pulse discharge (having repeatedly undergone a process of ignition, maintenance, and extinction) are experimentally investigated in a pulse-modulated radio-frequency atmospheric pressure argon discharge. The experimental results show that the first pulse discharge breakdown voltage decreases, but the stable pulse discharge breakdown voltage increases with increasing the pulse off-time. In a large region of the pulse off-time, the luminescence property of the initial breakdown stage is studied using a high speed camera. The captured images at different pulse off-times demonstrate that the gas breakdown exhibits five key characteristics: single-point random breakdown, multi-point random breakdown, stable uniform breakdown, stable glow mixed with pattern breakdown, and stable nonuniform pattern breakdown. The physical reasons for these results are discussed.