Ion energy and angular distributions onto polymer surfaces delivered by dielectric barrier discharge filaments in air: II. Particles

Atmospheric pressure streamers intersecting particles are of interest in the context of plasma aided combustion, where the particle may be a fuel aerosol droplet, or in sterilization of air, where the particle may be a bacterium. The ion energy and angular distributions (IEADs) incident on the particles, small curved dielectric surfaces, then in part determine the propensity for activating chemical reactions or, in the case of bacteria, the plasma’s sterilization capability. In this paper, we discuss results from a computational investigation of IEADs on small particles (45μm radius) produced by atmospheric pressure discharge. Streamers intersecting a particle momentarily generate a large sheath potential as the streamer passes by as the particle charges towards the plasma floating potential. During that time, ions of energies up to 3–10 eV can strike the particle. The permittivity of the particle and the streamer polarity in part determine the character of the IEAD. (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)