Heat Release in a Nanosecond Repetitively Pulsed Discharge in an Ar–He Mixture at the Atmospheric Pressure

A simplified kinetic model of the nanosecond repetitively pulsed discharge in Ar–He plasma at the atmospheric pressure is developed. The specific thermal power released in plasma under the condition of production on the average of 10 13 cm –3 metastable Ar(1 s 5 ) atoms is calculated. For each pulse duration, there is a certain repetition frequency and amplitude E / N , when a heat release minimum is achieved. In plasma with 1% Ar and without impurities, a heat release of 3–5 W cm –3 can be achieved. Under optimal discharge conditions, in the presence of 4 mTorr of water in the Ar–He mixture, the heat release increases by ~5 W cm –3 .