Plasma–Liquid Interactions
Formation and evolution of pulsed discharges at and within liquid interfaces.
Background
Pulsed electrical discharges in liquids couple plasma formation with heating, phase change, fluid motion, and chemical transport. These processes occur over different spatial and temporal scales, making it difficult to identify which mechanism governs a measured response.
Research questions
- How do voltage waveform, polarity, and liquid conductivity influence discharge initiation and propagation?
- How are plasma-channel evolution, bubble formation, and liquid motion coupled?
- Which electrical and optical observables can distinguish different discharge regimes?
Methods
The work uses controlled pulsed-discharge experiments, current and voltage diagnostics, and time-resolved visualization. Optical measurements and model-based analysis are incorporated where they can clarify the relation between plasma behavior and the surrounding liquid.
Significance
Resolving the coupled plasma and liquid response can improve the physical interpretation of liquid-phase discharges. This understanding can guide the selection of operating conditions for experiments and applications without presuming a universal discharge mechanism.