Dynamic Properties of Helium Atmospheric Dielectric-Barrier-Discharge Plasma Jet.

We present here experiments on helium atmospheric dielectric-barrier discharge jet in open air. A long stable plasma plume is realized at high applied voltage and high gas flow rate. Optical emission measurements show that the plasma plume consists of two part: a plume head with high energy electrons and a tail part with low energy electrons. The plasma plume propagates away from the quartz-tube outlet with about 30-80 km/sec along the helium gas flow channel. The propagation velocity of plasma plume is in the time scale of electron drift velocity, and the electric field plays an important role as a driving force of the plasma plume propagation.