Experimental investigation of dissipative solitons and other self-organised patterns in dielectric barrier discharge systems

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Lars Stollenwerk
• Subject Area: Optics, Quantum Optics and Physics of Atoms, Molecules and Plasmas
• Term: from 2008 to 2011
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 74851783

The understanding of self-organised patterns in nonlinear dissipative systems is one of the great challenges in recent natural sciences. Especially the appearance of well localised, solitary structures with particle like behaviour is a common feature of many physical, chemical and biological systems. These structures are known as dissipative solitons. In this project dissipative solitons appearing in a planar dielectric barrier discharge system in the form of current filaments will be investigated. The scheduled tasks comprise investigations of the filament dynamic, e.g. filament movement, the filament stability, especially during collision processes, and generation and annihilation of filaments. Also the bifurcations between regimes with different filament behaviour shall be addressed. Thereby the point of view of nonlinear dynamics and pattern formation as well as the needs of plasma physics are kept in mind. Hence, an understanding on the level of macroscopic, very common reasoning as well as on the level of plasma physical models allowing quantitative comparison of experimental and theoretical data is aspired. Therefore, beside the traditional observation of the emitted light of filaments with high speed cameras, a measurement system for surface charges on the dielectric barriers will be improved in sensitivity, spatial, and temporal resolution. For the data interpretation both imaging techniques as well as statistical data analysis methods will be used. The work in this project gives a further insight into the mechanisms of self-organised patterns in weakly ionised low temperature plasmas in particular and contributes to the understanding of self-organisation in dissipative systems in general.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants