Dielectric barrier discharges (DBD) in gases at atmospheric pressure: effect of charge trapping

We present theoretical modeling of atmospheric pressure discharges in air and helium where one of the electrodes is covered by a dielectric (dielectric barrier discharge, DBD), as well as ultra-high speed imaging studies for the case of He. It is found that charge on the dielectric barrier surface strongly influences the characteristics of individual discharge events in the interelectrode gap space, namely to reduce the propagation velocity and to increase the discharge channel width.