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International audience; This paper is devoted to the study of the argon flow modification in a cold atmospheric pressure plasma jet driven by nanosecond high voltage (HV) pulses, from single to multiple HV shots applications. A schlieren optical bench has been designed in order to visualize the argon flow downstream expansion in quiescent air, for moderate flow rates below 1 standard liter per minute. A coupled approach is used between charge coupled device (CCD) schlieren imaging and intensified CCD (ICCD) plasma plume imaging, both time-resolved. It is shown that the application of only one HV pulse (i.e. single HV shot) is enough to disturb the flow. The disturbed flow exhibits ripple propagation, on a timescale similar to the flow velocity. When operating in double HV shots, the second ionization wave can be used as a probe, to instantly visualize the flow structure any time after the first HV pulse application. For some flow rates, the ripple can increase in amplitude up to the point when it strongly deforms, or even stops, the plasma plume expansion, after which it is entrained by the flow and the plasma plume retrieves its full usual expansion. When a series of HV pulses are applied, the maximal disturbance of the flow is achieved for a certain pulse repetition frequency (PRF), specific of each flow rate. It is associated with ripples alternation in the plasma plume, in a 3D helicallike arrangement. For greater PRF, the ripples progressively vanish, and the flow is clearly less disturbed. Once the ripples have vanished, increasing further the PRF does not change the plasma plume and flow structures. We suggest that the repetitive plasma ignition mechanically forces the flow inside the capillary with consequences on the global flow structure, similarly to a forced backward-facing step flow with actuator.

Atmospheric microplasma jets (MPJs) sustained in rare gases have gained increased attention due to their potential to generate highly reactive species. In this paper, we present space- and time-resolved argon metastable densities, Ar(1s5), measured in an atmospheric pressure MPJ operated in Ar and propagating into ambient air using tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (1s5 → 2p9 optical transition). The MPJ was produced using a dielectric barrier discharge energized by short duration (230 ns) high-voltage positive pulses (4.2–6.2 kV) at a repetition frequency of 20 kHz. The spectral absorption line profile was recorded and allowed measurements of the absolute metastable Ar(1s5) density integrated in the line-of-sight of the laser beam under various operating conditions of the MPJ. The results reveal a sensitive dependence of the Ar(1s5) density on spatial coordinates, i.e., distance from the exit of the capillary tube of the discharge and from the axis of the argon jet. The highest Ar(1s5) densities of about 3 × 1013 cm−3 were measured at the axis of the argon jet at longitudinal distances between 4 and 5.5 mm downstream from the nozzle of the tube. The temporal distribution of the Ar(1s5) density, which presents three maxima, is thoroughly discussed in this paper. The spatial distribution of the effective Ar(1s5) lifetime (

International audience; This work presents spatial (axial-z and transversal-y) and temporal distributions of Ar(1s(5)) metastable absolute densities in an atmospheric pressure argon micro-plasma jet impinging on an ungrounded glass surface. Guided streamers are generated with a DBD device driven by pulsed positive high voltages of 6 kV in amplitude, 224 +/- 3 ns in FWHM and 20 kHz in frequency. The argon flow rate is varied between 200 and 600 sccm. The glass plate is placed at 5 mm away from the reactor's nozzle and perpendicular to the streamers propagation. At these conditions, a diffuse stable discharge is established after the passage of the streamers allowing the quantification of the Ar(1s(5)) absolute density by means of a conventional TDLAS technique coupled with emission spectroscopy and ICCD imaging. The good reproducibility of the absorption signals is demonstrated. The experiments show the strong dependence of the maximum density (0.5-4 x 10(13) cm(-3)) on the gas flow rate and the axial and transversal position. At 200 sccm, high maximum densities (>2.4 x 10(13) cm(-3)) are obtained in a small area close to the plasma source, while with increasing flow rate this area expands towards the glass plate. In the transversal direction, density maxima are obtained in a small zone around the propagation axis of the streamers. Finally, a noticeable increase is measured on the Ar(1s(5)) effective lifetime close to the glass surface by varying the flow rate from 200 to 600 sccm. In overall, the effective lifetime varies between similar to 25 and similar to 550 ns, depending on the gas flow rate and the values of z and y coordinates. The results obtained suggest that the present system can be implemented in various applications and particularly in what concerns the detection of weakly volatile organic compounds present in trace amounts on different surfaces.

International audience; The present work is devoted to the precise spatiotemporal mapping of the absolute density of Ar(1s(5)) in a ns-pulsed argon plasma jet. The plasma impinges on glass and alumina targets at floating potential placed 5mm away from the reactor's nozzle. Under these conditions, diffuse discharges are established in the small gas gap. As so, the line-of-sight absolute density of Ar(1s(5)) is effectively evaluated via laser absorption spectroscopy. The application of the Abel-inversion is also demonstrated for different operating conditions leading to the precise radial mapping of the Ar(1s(5)) absolute density. The influence of each target is studied for two gas flow rates, 0.3 and 0.4lmin(-1). The temporal density profiles over a voltage pulse period reveal two maxima related with the Ar(1s(5)) production in the streamer head and in the residual diffuse plasma channel. Furthermore, the maximum Ar(1s(5)) axial/radial density (approximate to 10(13)-3.5x10(14)cm(-3)) depends on the target material and gas flow rate. Finally, the plasma is proved to be very effective for the fast desorption of organic molecules (bibenzyl) deposited on both targets. The results obtained suggest that the desorption of bibenzyl is due to the production of high Ar(1s(5)) densities at the close vicinity of the targets. [GRAPHICS] .

Cold atmospheric pressure plasmas (CAPPs) have emerged over the last decade as a new promising therapy to fight cancer. CAPPs’ antitumor activity is primarily due to the delivery of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), but the precise determination of the constituents linked to this anticancer process remains to be done. In the present study, using a micro-plasma jet produced in helium (He), we demonstrate that the concentration of H2O2, NO2− and NO3− can fully account for the majority of RONS produced in plasma-activated buffer. The role of these species on the viability of normal and tumour cell lines was investigated. Although the degree of sensitivity to H2O2 is cell-type dependent, we show that H2O2 alone cannot account for the toxicity of He plasma. Indeed, NO2−, but not NO3−, acts in synergy with H2O2 to enhance cell death in normal and tumour cell lines to a level similar to that observed after plasma treatment. Our findings suggest that the efficiency of plasma treatment strongly depends on the combination of H2O2 and NO2− in determined concentrations. We also show that the interaction of the He plasma jet with the ambient air is required to generate NO2− and NO3− in solution.

International audience; Using tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy, the spatio-temporal distributions of the helium He(23 S1) metastable atoms’ density were measured in a plasma jet propagating in ambient air. The plasma jet was produced by applying short duration high voltage pulses on the electrodes of a DBD-like structure, at a repetition rate in the range 1–30 kHz. In addition to the metastable density, the spatial distribution of helium 587 nm emission intensity was also investigated to give insight into the excitation mechanisms of the He(33 D) excited state inside the dielectric tube, in which no laser measurement can be performed. It is demonstrated that the shape of the radial distribution of helium He(23 S1) metastable atoms strongly depends on the polarity of the applied voltage and on the repetition frequency. For positive applied voltages, a dramatic constriction of the excited species production is observed whenever the pulse repetition frequency is higher than 6 kHz, and the voltage higher than 5 kV. This shrinking of the jet structure induces an increase by one order of magnitude of the metastable atoms’ density in the jet centre which reaches values as high as 1014 cm−3. Beyond a critical distance, associated to a transition between a positive streamer and a negative one, the distribution of the excited atoms gets back to an annular structure. For the negative polarity, no shrinking effect correlated to the pulse repetition frequency was observed. The on-axis constriction of the excited species for the high repetition rate and positive polarity is attributed to a memory effect induced by the negative ions, having a lifetime of hundreds of microseconds, left between successive pulses at the periphery of the helium gas flow.

6th Central European Symposium on Plasma Chemistry (CESPC), Bressanone, ITALY, SEP 06-10, 2015; International audience; The propagation of a DC-pulsed argon plasma jet through the surrounding ambient air, and its interaction with an ungrounded glass plate placed on the jet trajectory, was studied by means of fast imaging. The surface plays an important role in the spatio-temporal characteristics of the plasma. Indeed, for an argon jet propagating perpendicularly to the surface, the plasma jet structure changes from filamentary to diffuse when the distance between the nozzle of the capillary tube and the surface is short (

Arrays of microhollow cathode discharges or cathode boundary layer discharges were operated in krypton?chlorine mixtures resulting in an intense ultraviolet emission at 222?nm. It was demonstrated that nanosecond duration pulses applied at high repetition frequency allowed one to simultaneously ignite and sustain discharges inside all the microcavities of the arrays without using any resistive ballast. Self-repelling properties of adjacent plasmas expanding onto the cathode surface for the negative polarity part of the high-voltage pulses were demonstrated, resulting in a self-limitation of the available cathode surface for an individual microdischarge. Spectroscopic investigations allowed us to determine the gas temperature and evolution of the 222?nm band intensity versus the partial pressures and deposited power. Optimum partial pressure ranges for chlorine and krypton were 0.2?0.8?mbar and 50?70?mbar, respectively. The 222?nm band intensity increased linearly with the deposited energy per pulse and the pulse repetition frequency provided that the mean deposited energy was lower than 7?W. Above this value a cooling of the device should be implemented.