Experimental investigations of inhomogeneous current density distributions in a glow discharge plasma

In plane DC- and AC-glow discharge systems with high impedance electrodes nontrivial current density distributions are observed and investigated by different experimental means. Besides stationary smooth periodic patterns of the current density also quasi stationary solitary structures, so-called filaments, may appear. These filaments interact with each other in a complex manner and shape symmetric, dependent on the shape of the boundary, hexagonal and rectangular patterns as they are pressed together in space. Most of this stationary behavior can be described within the scope of a reaction diffusion system