Two-dimensional numerical simulation of streamers using a particle-in-cell method

A 2-D particle-in-cell method has been implemented and applied to the numerical simulation of streamer initiation and propagation in atmospheric pressure nitrogen. The streamer is triggered by introducing a relatively high density plasma at the midpoint between two parallel electrodes. Immediately, a cathode and an anode-directed streamer develop. The evolution of the electron and ion densities is described by means of fully 2-D transport equations (3-D with cylindrical geometry) coupled with Poisson's equation.