Oscillations of the positive column plasma due to ionization wave propagation and two-dimensional structure of striations

Time and space resolved measurements of the plasma potential in axial and radial directions in S- and P-striations in neon are performed. The measurements in different radial positions were carried out with high spatial resolution by means of simultaneous displacement of electrodes relative to the stationary probe. The plasma potential was found to be a superposition of the potentials of ionization wave and plasma oscillations relative to the electrodes. A method of decomposition of the measured spatio-temporal structure of the potential in components associated with the plasma oscillations and ionization wave propagation is proposed. A biorthogonal decomposition of the spatio-temporal structure of the potential is performed. A comparison of the decomposition results obtained by the two methods is made. The experiments revealed a two-dimensional structure of the potential field in an ionization wave. Qualitative discussions of the reasons for the occurrence of this two-dimensional structure are presented based on the analysis of the kinetic equation and the equation for the potential