Development of a Single Filament Pulsed Dielectric Barrier Discharge in Volume and on Surface

Pulsed-driven dielectric barrier discharges were recorded in a single filament arrangement with a 1-mm gap in a N
₂
–O
₂
gas mixture at atmospheric pressure with a fast ICCD camera. The comparison of spectrally-integrated and spectrally-resolved emissions for the second positive system (SPS) and the first negative system (FNS) of N
₂
reveals different structures in the volume and on the dielectric surfaces. A propagation of surface discharges with approximately the same velocity is visible on both electrodes, but with a higher intensity of the FNS on the cathode and of the SPS on the anode. This indicates a higher electric field strength in the discharges on the cathode surface.