“Tunneling” phenomenon of plasma bullets and future prospects for their applications

Abstract

Atmospheric-pressure low-temperature plasma jets are widely used in diverse applications and appear jet-like due to the repeated high-speed propagation of localized discharges, known as plasma bullets, rather than simple downstream gas flow. These plasma bullets give rise to phenomena distinct from those of conventional jets. This study outlines the fundamental properties of plasma bullets and describes phenomena in which a plasma jet appears to tunnel through a dielectric wall, as well as the generation of surface-launched plasma bullets that are launched like rockets from a planar dielectric surface. The applications of these phenomena to the hydrophilic modification of continuous porous dielectrics are discussed, and ongoing efforts to realize large-volume atmospheric-pressure low-temperature plasmas, which have not yet been achieved, are also addressed.