Steady-State Model of an Argon–Helium High-Pressure Radio Frequency Dielectric Barrier Discharge

A steady-state kinetic model of argon–helium high-pressure radio frequency dielectric barrier discharge is developed using a simplified reaction rate package appropriate for pressures ranging from 200 to 500 torr. Electron production and loss rates are analyzed as a function of pressure and Ar–He mixture, highlighting the importance of the Ar2* dimer for higher pressures and Ar rich mixtures. As pressure increases, the primary ionization mechanism shifts between ionization of ground state Ar to dimer ionization, which affects the steady-state reduced electric field due to the electron energy required for the two dominant ionization mechanisms. The resulting reduced electric field profile controls the metastable Ar(1s5) production, which, combined with the Ar(1s5) loss rates, reveals the metastable density as a function of pressure and Ar-fraction. This simplified 0-D steady-state model shows close agreement with previous time-dependent simulations using a robust reaction rate package.