Power laws and self-similar behavior in negative ionization fronts
Plasma Physics
2009-11-11 v1 Fluid Dynamics
Abstract
We study anode-directed ionization fronts in curved geometries. When the magnetic effects can be neglected, an electric shielding factor determines the behavior of the electric field and the charged particle densities. From a minimal streamer model, a Burgers type equation which governs the dynamics of the electric shielding factor is obtained. A Lagrangian formulation is then derived to analyze the ionization fronts. Power laws for the velocity and the amplitude of streamer fronts are observed numerically and calculated analytically by using the shielding factor formulation. The phenomenon of geometrical diffusion is explained and clarified, and a universal self-similar asymptotic behavior is derived.
Cite
@article{arxiv.physics/0504005,
title = {Power laws and self-similar behavior in negative ionization fronts},
author = {Manuel Arrayás and Marco A. Fontelos and José L. Trueba},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:physics/0504005},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
25 pages, 9 figures