Progress in two dimensional particle in cell simulations of dielectric barrier discharges for plasma actuators

Dielectric barrier discharges (DBD) are receiving a lot of attention because of their potential to influence boundary layer flows and also for their potential medical applications. We treat discharges in pure N2 at atmospheric pressure. We neglect complex chemistry. The only effect of this kind that we consider is ionization of N2 by electron impact. We use the particle in cell (PIC) code MAGIC to calculate the electromagnetic fields and the ion and electron properties. The discharge is so fast that the neutral atoms have no time to move and are considered to be at rest. We calculate the momentum imparted to the neutral gas by collisions with the ions and electrons. This has been called the electrohydrodynamic (EHD) force. The goal is to produce sufficient force to have a significant effect upon the boundary layer flow.