Ignition conditions for a self-pulsing discharge with the microhollow cathode in air

This work is devoted to the study of the electrical characteristics of a discharge with a microhollow cathode in air at atmospheric pressure. It was experimentally found that the discharge with a microhollow cathode developed in a self-pulsing mode with an average current of hundreds of microamperes. According to the experimental data it was concluded that the self-pulsing frequency linearly depended on the consumed current. The values of the ignition voltage of the self-pulsing discharge with a microhollow cathode at different hole diameters were obtained.

Hole size effect on microhollow cathode discharge in air

In this work the values of main electrical parameters of the microhollow cathode discharge in atmospheric air (peak discharge current, discharge ignition voltage) depending on the diameter of the hole in the cathode were obtained. It was experimentally found that at currents up to 2 mA, the discharge operated in a self-pulsing mode. According to the experimental results it was concluded that the value of the discharge ignition voltage at average discharge current exceeding 2 mA didn’t depend on the hole diameter.