Numerical simulation of microplasma jets and their interaction with surfaces

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Thomas Mussenbrock
• Subject Area: Optics, Quantum Optics and Physics of Atoms, Molecules and Plasmas
• Term: from 2009 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 74729252

• Final Report Year: 2016

Final Report Abstract

The project was intended to provide a deeper insight into the physics of radio-frequency driven micro plasma jets. Numerous modelling and simulation approaches have been performed. The first model which has been developed and exploited is a spatially two-dimensional model. In addition to the plasma dynamics, it allows also for the lateral transport of all species subject to a realistic plasma chemistry. Of particular importance in this context is the fact that it helped to complete the understanding the role of metastable atoms and molecule in a very close connection with the experiments done within FOR 1123. The second model which has been developed is based on the gained insight that the electrons in high pressure discharges of small sizes are not necessarily in equilibrium. Therefore, it became unclear that the application of fluid models to simulate microplasmas is justified or not. Due to this uncertainty, a real hybrid model has been developed, implemented, and exploited. The model describes the electrons in a fully kinetic Particle-In-Cell scheme, whereas all heavy particles are tracked in the drift diffusion approximation.

Publications

• Fine-Sorting One- Dimensional Particle-In-Cell Algorithm with Monte-Carlo Collisions on a Graphics Processing Unit, Computer Physics Communications 182, 2161 (2011)
  Mertmann, Philipp; Eremin, Denis; Mussenbrock, Thomas; Brinkmann, Ralf Peter & Awakowicz, Peter
  
• Ignition of a Microcavity Plasma Array, IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science 39, 2684 (2011)
  Wollny, Alexander; Hemke, Torben; Gebhardt, Markus; Brinkmann, Ralf Peter & Mussenbrock, Thomas
  
• Ionization Wave Propagation on a Micro Cavity Plasma Array, Applied Physics Letters 99, 141504 (2011)
  Wollny, Alexander; Hemke, Torben; Gebhardt, Markus; Peter Brinkmann, Ralf; Boettner, Henrik; Winter, Jörg; Schulz-von der Gathen, Volker; Xiong, Zhongmin; Kushner, Mark J. & Mussenbrock, Thomas
  
• Spatial Dynamics of Helium Metastables in Sheath or Bulk Dominated RF Micro- Plasma Jets, Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics 44, 485204 (2011)
  Niermann, B.; Hemke, T.; Babaeva, N. Y.; Böke, M.; Kushner, M. J.; Mussenbrock, T. & Winter, J.
  
• Spatially Resolved Simulation of a Radio Frequency Driven Micro Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet and Its Effluent, Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics 44, 285206 (2011)
  Hemke, Torben; Wollny, Alexander; Gebhardt, Markus; Brinkmann, Ralf Peter & Mussenbrock, Thomas
  
• Ionization by Bulk Heating of Electrons in Capacitive Radio Frequency Atmospheric Pressure Microplasmas, Plasma Sources Science and Technology 22, 015012 (2013)
  Hemke, T.; Eremin, D.; Mussenbrock, T.; Derzsi, A.; Donkó, Z.; Dittmann, K.; Meichsner, J. & Schulze, J.
  
• Simulation Benchmarks for Low Pressure Plasmas: Capacitive Discharges Physics of Plasmas 20, 013507 (2013)
  Turner, M. M.; Derzsi, A.; Donkó, Z.; Eremin, D.; Kelly, S. J.; Lafleur, T. & Mussenbrock, T.
  
• A New Hybrid Scheme for Simulations of Highly Collisional RF-Driven Plasmas, Plasma Sources Science and Technology 25, 015009 (2016)
  Eremin, Denis; Hemke, Torben & Mussenbrock, Thomas
  
• Nonlocal Behavior of the Excitation Rate in Highly Collisional RF Discharges, Plasma Sources Science and Technology 24, 044004 (2015)
  Eremin, Denis; Hemke, Torben & Mussenbrock, Thomas