EFFECTS OF NONLOCALITY ON THE DYNAMICS OF STREAMERS IN POSITIVE CORONA DISCHARGES

Computer simulation is used to study the effect on the parameters of t he streamer plasma due to the nonlocality of the electron energy distr ibution near the head of a streamer in air. Taking into account the no nlocality increases the electron field strength in the head and the el ectron density in the channel. The streamer radius decreases, while th e streamer velocity and current as well as the efficiency of generatin g chemically active particles remain essentially the same as in the lo cal approach. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics. [S1063-7850(97)0 3106-6].