Test facility for high pressure plasmas

Summary form only given. High pressure nonthermal plasmas are gaining increasing importance because of their wide range of applications, e.g. in air plasma ramparts, gas processing, surface treatment, thin film deposition, and chemical and biological decontamination. In order to compare various methods of plasma generation with respect to efficiency, development of instabilities, homogeneity, lifetime etc., a central test facility for high pressure plasmas is being established. The facility will allow us to study large volume (>100 cm/sup 3/), nonthermal (gas temperature: <2000 K) plasmas over a large pressure range (10/sup -6/ Torr up to more than 1 atmosphere) in a standardized discharge cell. The setup was designed to generate plasmas in air as well as in gas mixtures. The available voltage range extends to 25 kV DC (10 kW power). The electrodes can be water cooled.