Numerical Study of Breakdown and Formation Dynamics of Arc Discharge Plasma Parameters at Ultrahigh Pressures

The paper presents a model that makes it possible to describe the parameters of arc discharge in molecular nitrogen at ultrahigh pressures (200 atm) typical for the problems of igniting oil reservoirs. On the basis of the formulated model, numerical experiments have been carried out to study breakdown and the formation dynamics of the main parameters of microarc-discharge plasma. It has been shown that the breakdown occurs at times on the order of 10−5 s. The discharge is excited in a glow mode, which rather quickly (at times of ~10−3–10–1 s), as a result of self-coupled heating of the cathode, transforms into an arc with a free cathode operation mode.