A Study of a Striated Positive Column after Ethanol Impurity Injection in an Air DC Glow Discharge
Abstract
In a glow discharge when ethanol (CH3CH2OH) was injected, a series of atypical striations formed through the positive column. When the pressure decreased as the ethanol evaporated and was evacuated by the vacuum pump, this behavior decayed away until only an anode glow or normal discharge remained. Varying interelectrode spacings and quantities of ethanol yielded similar patterns. The typical evolution as the pressure decreased consisted of a visible traveling wave traveling from the anode to the cathode followed by numerous, thin ( 1.6 mm) striations evenly spaced down the entire length of the positive column. These, shifted back toward the anode and transformed into bent striations with the tip of the 'V' pointing toward the cathode, and finally, the 'V' striations grouped into fours and took on the appearance of beats. The unusual 'V' striations may be due in part to a contraction of the column, causing the equipotential surfaces to shift from smooth convex to the observed striation shape. The conditions for this contraction effect include a nonlinearly increasing dependence of electron production rate on electron density and a bulk recombination rate higher than that at the tube walls. Visible emission spectra indicated the presence of carbon monoxide (CO), signifying that the striations are due to not only vibrational excitation of the ethanol molecule but also to decomposition and subsequent excitation of the decomposition products as well. One possible mechanism of decomposition is the formation of a radical cation from the ethanol molecule and the ensuing loss of a proton to yield formaldehyde; this then would follow an analogous decomposition to produce carbon monoxide. Thus, there may exist additional charged species which can then contribute to the unique observations. Further analysis, if possible, will include higher temporal resolution spectroscopy and a detailed model of the positive column under these specific conditions.
- Publication:
-
APS April Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- April 2003
- Bibcode:
- 2003APS..APR.J1010B