Formation of gradients of atomic oxygen in nanosecond plasma for plasma-assisted detonation: experimental and numerical study

Abstract This work aims at producing a gradient of atomic oxygen on a scale of 10 cm in a plane-to-plane nanosecond discharge in 150 mbar of air with a varying gap size for applications in combustion and ignition of detonation waves. Local measurements of atomic oxygen density along the discharge span, at varying heights between high-voltage and grounded electrode, are performed with Xe calibrated O-TALIF and validated by 2D numerical modelling. They both show existence of a gradient of atomic density of oxygen along the span. Reduced electric field is measured with two experimental techniques: optical emission spectroscopy by a spectral band intensity ratio of the first negative system and the second positive system of nitrogen, and E-FISH. It is also compared with numerical modelling. All techniques show existence of a gradient of reduced electric field along the span. This distribution of reduced electric field, in combination with the non-uniform energy deposition in the plasma, is shown to explain the measured gradient of density of atomic oxygen.