Simulation of streamer discharges as finitely conducting channels

This paper presents a two-dimensional simulation of positive streamers in a ir at atmospheric pressure in a quasi-uniform electric field. A streamer is assumed to consist of a hemispherical tip and a finitely conducting cylind rical channel with a constant axial potential gradient. The model predicts that E-g similar to 450 kV/m and the radius is r similar to 50 mu m in air at standard atmospheric conditions. Moreover, the estimated number of posit ive ions in the streamer head of stably propagating streamers, agrees with estimations based on more advanced streamer models. The model is used to pr edict the behavior of streamers in electrical discharges in a semi-uniform electric field and good agreement is found between experiment and theory. T he computer simulation of such a simplistic model could be applied to predi ct the behavior of streamer discharges in complex electrode arrangements, i ncluding dielectric surfaces.