On streamer interaction in a pulsed positive corona discharge

An approximate method is presented to take account of interaction of positive streamers simultaneously propagating between a wire and a plate. The method is based on a quasi-2D positive streamer model modified by inclusion in the expression for electric field of an additional term describing the field of charges of all streamer channels in the gap. All streamers are assumed to be identical and to move parallel to each other to the plate from points equidistantly distributed along the wire surface. The model is used for calculation of streamer dynamics in atmospheric air for conditions under which simultaneously propagating streamers have been observed. It is shown that taking account of streamer interaction improves the agreement of the calculated dependence of streamer velocity on its length with the experimental one.