Generation and characterization of optical emission in highly repetitive pulsed-glow discharges in air

To analyze atmospheric‐pressure transient glow microdischarges powered by a fast high‐voltage pulse train generated by a nonlinear transmission line generator, we conducted a simulation experiment using double rectangular pulsed voltages having variable pulse intervals. The discharges were characterized by optical emission spectro‐scopy. Although the temporal evolution of the spectral line intensities of nitrogen molecules and ions followed the discharge current, the atomic helium line intensity did not follow the current. The development of a discharge at the interface between a helium gas flow column and the surrounding air affects the observed evolution of the spectral lines. The strong effect of metastable helium was confirmed. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 180(2): 17–23, 2012; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.21223