Time-Resolved Imaging of “Plasma Bullets” in a Dielectric Capillary Atmospheric Pressure Discharge

Temporally resolved images acquired using a 5-ns gated intensified charge-coupled device camera show the dynamical behavior of a plasma jet emanating from the end of a dielectric capillary operating at atmospheric pressure. Broadband emission and filtered emission from excited Ar, He, N₂ and N₂ ⁺ species were acquired. The properties of the highly localized so-called "plasma bullets" that make up the plasma jet strongly resemble the properties of cathode-directed streamers in positive corona discharges.