Numerical modelling of the effect of water admixtures in a helium/air parallel plate dielectric barrier discharge

Abstract

Helium DBDs at atmospheric pressure have shown very promising results in many biomedical applications, such as wound healing, treatment of cancer cells, bacterial inactivation etc. In such discharges the presence of water impurities is unavoidable and should be taken into consideration as they affect the plasma composition and plasma dynamics. Water impurities originate from humidity in the ambient air and from the plasma interaction with living tissue typically residing in moist environment. Consequently, understanding the effect of the water admixtures on helium/air discharges is a prerequisite for the utilization of these devices