Properties of erosive discharge in a gas-dispersion flow

Erosive discharge in the flow of a gas-dispersion mixture (air with dispersed microscopic drops of an electrolyte) has been experimentally studied. The products of erosion were obtained by coating the electrodes with a wax (this method was originally used by N. Tesla). Two phenomena were observed behind the discharge gap, i.e., (i) a linear breakdown in the form of a bead lightning (within 0.5–1 m behind the interelectrode gap) and (ii) the appearance of long-lived plasma formations (plasmoids). Cotton-like wax deposits formed on glass slides were examined in optical microscopes at various magnifications. The propagation of long-lived plasmoids in an applied magnetic field was monitored by a high-speed TV camera. Waveforms of a current transferred by the gas-dispersion flow were measured using a conducting screen. Based on these data, a self-consistent physical model is formulated, which describes the generation, evolution, and decay of the long-lived plasmoids.