Simulation of Air Breakdown in Waveguide by Spectral-element time-domain Method

In this paper, the influence of the convection term and the Lorentz force on high-power microwave (HPM) air breakdown is investigate through spectral-element time-domain method (SETD). Transient air breakdown phenomenon is analyzed by establishing a self-consistent fluid model coupled with Maxwell's equations. Convection term and Lorentz force are introduced into the model to improve its accuracy. Applying the proposed method into a waveguide, the simulated results reveal that the convection term and the Lorentz force will accelerate the air breakdown process.