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Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Radiation From Streamer Collisions.
1Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA), CSIC Granada Spain.
Journal of Geophysical Research. Atmospheres : JGR
|February 6, 2018
Summary
Streamer collisions in high-voltage discharges generate significant radio frequency pulses, dominating the spectrum from 100 MHz to GHz. These collisions also accelerate electrons, linking X-rays to radio emissions and high-energy discharge processes.
Area of Science:
- Plasma physics
- Electromagnetism
- Atmospheric electricity
Background:
- Streamer discharges are crucial in various electrical phenomena.
- Understanding streamer interactions is key to explaining high-energy processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To model electromagnetic phenomena during streamer collisions.
- To investigate the radio frequency emissions and electron acceleration resulting from these collisions.
Main Methods:
- Developed a full electromagnetic model solving Maxwell equations self-consistently with electron transport and photoionization.
- Applied the model to counter-propagating streamers in centimeter-scale gaps with kilovolt potential differences.
Main Results:
- Streamer collisions produce electromagnetic pulses dominating the radio frequency spectrum (100 MHz–few GHz) at atmospheric pressure.
- Electromagnetic fields penetrate streamer heads post-collision, accelerating electrons to approximately 100 keV.
- Established a link between X-ray production and high-frequency radio emissions.
Conclusions:
- Streamer collisions are vital precursors to high-energy processes in electric discharges.
- The study provides a mechanism for early runaway electron acceleration.
- Results support the hypothesis that streamer collisions initiate energetic phenomena.
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