Study on microdischarge via an unified fluid model

The fluid model of gas discharge is a powerful means to study the characteristics of plasma, but it is usually only used to study a specific discharge form. The unified fluid (electrostatic) model of discharge is introduced in detail in this work. This model includes the continuity equation and energy conservation equation of particles, as well as Poisson’s equation. The processes such as cathode electron emission, reaction enthalpy change, and cathode heat conduction are also taken into account in this model, which can be used to simulate full-mode gas discharge research including a Geiger-Muller regime, a Townsend discharge regime, a subnormal, normal, and abnormal glow discharge regime, and arc regime. Based on this model, the typical gas discharge current-voltage characteristics curve is obtained, which is consistent with the results in the literature, verifying the effectiveness of the model in our work. On this basis, a simulation study is conducted on the discharge process with the gap of 400 um and pressures of 50 Torr and 500 Torr respectively, the typical physical parameter characteristics of the discharge from Townsend to arc regime under different pressure conditions are comparatively analyzed. This research expands the application of existing low-temperature plasma fluid models and contributes to more comprehensive research and analysis of the discharge process.