On the static behaviour of dielectric barrier discharges in uniform electric fields

This paper is aimed at calculating the electric field in a parallel-plate e lectrode system with one of the plates covered with a dielectric layer. Wit h deposition of charge on the dielectric surface, the field in the gas gap is reduced with a subsequent shrinking of the discharge activity in the gap . The charge deposition on the dielectric surface proceeds to the maximum p ossible value when the normal component of the surface field vanishes. Not only the normal field component but also the field in all the gap vanishes at the maximum possible charge on the dielectric surface with a subsequent suppression of the gap micro-discharges. An accurate method of charge simul ation was used for field calculation irrespective of the thickness of the d ielectric layer and the value of the charge deposited on the dielectric sur face. The threshold and suppression voltages of the gap micro-discharges ar e calculated based on a criterion for self-sustained discharge-activity in the gap. The calculated voltages are compared with those estimated before a nd those measured for different gap lengths.