Transition from bright to dark dissipative solitons in dielectric barrier gas-discharge

L. Stollenwerk; S. V. Gurevich; J. G. Laven; H.-G. Purwins

doi:10.1140/epjd/e2007-00037-5

EPJ

Transition from bright to dark dissipative solitons in dielectric barrier gas-discharge

L. Stollenwerk^a, S. V. Gurevich, J. G. Laven and H.-G. Purwins

Institut für Angewandte Physik, Corrensstraße 2/4, 48149 Münster, Germany

Received: 19 July 2006
Revised: 21 December 2006
Published online: 23 February 2007

Abstract

In this article we deal with the experimental investigation of pattern formation in a planar ac gas-discharge system with a dielectric barrier. We report on the first observation of the transition from bright to dark current filaments and vice versa via stripe-like patterns. The observed phenomena become classified in the framework of Turing-structures and solitary objects and are compared to results obtained by numerical simulations of a two-component reaction-diffusion-system.

PACS: 52.80.Hc – Glow; corona / 89.75.Kd – Patterns / 89.75.Fb – Structures and organization in complex systems