Moderate and low pressure plasmas and electrical gas discharges are used in a variety of technologically important applications (e.g., plasma processing, gas lasers, plasma switches). The gaseous environments of these plasmas are unavoidably contaminated with dust and particulate matter originating from electrodes, walls, and gas phase chemical reactions. In this research program, a first principles computer model will be developed to describe the perturbation of plasma properties and the initiation of plasma instabilities by particulate matter. The goals of developing the model are to predict the change in electron transport coefficients and the formation of arcs and streamers resulting from the presence of particulates in moderate to low pressure glow discharges (< 1 atm); and to set operational limits on the tolerance of such discharges to the size, type, and distribution of particles. The results of this study will provide a new capability to the designers of long lived gas discharge devices with which to predict and correct the performance of their devices in the non-pristine environments in which they must operate. The computational techniques developed here will also be directly applicable to predicting the onset of streamer formation from non-uniformities on electrodes.
