Formation of a Nanosecond Discharge in Argon at Atmospheric Pressure Under Gas Pre-Ionization Conditions

The results of modeling a nanosecond discharge in a uniform electric field in argon at atmospheric pressure based on two kinetic models are compared: with one and with six excited states, respectively. The analysis of the development of ionization waves in a centimeter gap in a two-dimensional axisymmetric geometry is performed. It is shown that the obtained result is influenced by the choice of the transport cross-section of electron scattering on the argon atom. The electric field strengths, charged particle concentrations, and velocities of cathode- and anode-directed ionization waves at different time points are compared.