Projects per year
Organization profile
Introduction / mission
We investigate the physics and applications of fast, transient discharges and the inception stages of gas discharges. The primary example of such a discharge for us is a streamer discharge, a fast-moving ionization wave through a gas. They occur in nature with lightning and sprites but also have many technological applications.
Highlighted phrase
Controlling nanosecond-scale discharges
Organisational profile
Our primary scientific topics are fast, transient discharges and the inception stages of gas discharges. Such discharges are always very far from equilibrium which makes them challenging to understand. This interest has started with one example of such discharges, namely streamer discharges, but in recent years has expanded to a larger range of extreme non-equilibrium discharges.
Still, streamer discharges our scientific focal point. Streamer discharges are the first stages of discharges like sparks and arcs. They can pierce through regions with relatively low electric field and have tree-like shapes. In nature they occur as the first stage of lightning and as so-called sprites and other discharges high above thunderclouds.
We are not limited to one application of streamers and related non-equilibrium discharges. The diversity of applications of such discharges makes this field of science interesting and ensures future-proof funding possibilities, both from fundamental scientific viewpoint as from the utilization viewpoint.
Streamer-like electric discharges form the initial stage of electric breakdown in long gaps; they are ubiquitous in nature and technology. They appear in St. Elmo's fire and recently discovered sprite discharges above lightning clouds and determine the early stages of sparks and lightning.
They are used in corona reactors for dust precipitation, ozone generation, disinfection of water and air, odour removal and various other applications. They also play a role in the (re)ignition of high pressure gas discharge lamps. The action of streamers on a gas or other substrate is three-fold:
• They carry electric current and create a path for further electric breakdown; on their course, they deposit charge in the system that, e.g., can be used for electrostatic precipitation of nanoparticles.
• They generate high energetic electrons in a thin space charge region; these electrons very efficiently catalyze gas-chemical reactions and even lead to X-ray emission.
• They cause convection in the gas through which they are moving, the so-called corona wind.
This project aims to a coordinated experimental and theoretical study of the initial phases of electrical breakdown in gases. The goal is to obtain a thorough physical understanding of the process that will enable us to optimize various technological applications. The methods include detailed theoretical and computational models developed at CWI Amsterdam, time resolved measurements of streamer width, velocity and branching under carefully determined physical conditions in a wide parameter range at the physics department of TUE. Experiments are performed at the physics department with power supplies operative in the 2 to 60 kV range.
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Network
Profiles
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Yihao Guo
- Applied Physics and Science Education, Extreme non-equilibrium plasmas
- Applied Physics and Science Education, Elementary Processes in Gas Discharges - Doctoral Candidate
Person: Prom. : doctoral candidate (PhD), Prom. : doctoral candidate (PhD)
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Anne A.A. Limburg
- Applied Physics and Science Education, Extreme non-equilibrium plasmas
- Applied Physics and Science Education, Elementary Processes in Gas Discharges - Doctoral Candidate-TA
Person: OWP : University Teacher / Researcher
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Sander Nijdam
- Applied Physics and Science Education, Elementary Processes in Gas Discharges - Associate Professor
- Applied Physics and Science Education, Extreme non-equilibrium plasmas
Person: UHD : Associate Professor
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PhotoLitho, Aberration compensation and surface charging PPS 1912P11
Nijdam, S. & Limburg, A. A. A.
1/03/20 → 31/12/25
Project: Research direct
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Science and Innovation with thunderstorms
Nijdam, S. & Mirpour, S.
1/03/17 → 31/08/21
Project: Research direct
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Low-temperature filamentary plasma for ignition-stabilized combustion
Patel, R., van Oijen, J., Dam, N. & Nijdam, S., Jan 2023, In: Combustion and Flame. 247, 17 p., 112501.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus)21 Downloads (Pure) -
A Model for Positive Corona Inception From Charged Ellipsoidal Thundercloud Hydrometeors
Peeters, S. A., Mirpour, S., Köhn, C. & Nijdam, S., 27 Mar 2022, In: Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. 127, 6, 17 p., e2021JD035505.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Citations (Scopus)13 Downloads (Pure) -
A Pockels effect based technique for surface charge measurements: Principles, practice and challenges
Limburg, A. A. A., Oosterholt, T. T. J., Mentink, L. M., Raaymakers, J. A. L. J., van Eden, G. G. & Nijdam, S., 2022.Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster
Prizes
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Best oral presentation
Mirpour, Shahriar (Recipient), 2019
Prize: Other › Career, activity or publication related prizes (lifetime, best paper, poster etc.) › Scientific
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Student Prize for Best Oral Presentation
Mirpour, Shahriar (Recipient), 2019
Prize: Other › Career, activity or publication related prizes (lifetime, best paper, poster etc.) › Scientific
Activities
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Advanced 3D time resolved imaging of streamers and comparison with numerical model results
Sander Nijdam (Invited speaker)
23 Apr 2023 → 27 Apr 2023Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk › Scientific
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International Conference on Phenomena in Ionized Gases XXXV
Ute Ebert (Chair), Sander Nijdam (Organiser), Jan van Dijk (Organiser) & Job Beckers (Organiser)
2023Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Conference › Scientific
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Plasma Sources Science and Technology (Journal)
Sander Nijdam (Associate editor)
2023 → …Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial activity › Scientific
Press/Media
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How do you make courses CBL-proof?
3/06/21
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Public Engagement Activities
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Student theses
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3D reconstruction and analysis of branching streamer discharges: elementary processes in gas discharges
Author: van der Leegte, M., Nov 2021Supervisor: Nijdam, S. (Supervisor 1) & Dijcks, S. (Supervisor 2)
Student thesis: Master
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A numerical and experimental investigation on the physics of E-FISH when using a focused Gaussian probing beam
Author: Pleijers, R. F. E., Dec 2021Supervisor: Nijdam, S. (Supervisor 1), Limburg, A. A. A. (Supervisor 2) & Guo, Y. (Supervisor 2)
Student thesis: Master
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Comparative OH PLIF study for Dye and OPO laser systems & its application to optical diagnostics of Plasma Assisted Combustion
Author: Hakstege, J. P., 10 Mar 2022Supervisor: Patel, R. (Supervisor 1), Dam, N. J. (Supervisor 2) & Nijdam, S. (Supervisor 2)
Student thesis: Master
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