Stereo-photography of point-plane streamers in air

Abstract

Standard photographs of streamer discharges show a two-dimensional projection. We here present stereo-photographic images that resolve their three-dimensional structure. We describe the stereoscopic set-up and evaluation, and we present results for positive streamer discharges in air at 0.2 - 1 bar in a point plane geometry with a gap distance of 14 cm and a voltage pulse of 47 kV. In this case an approximately Gaussian distribution of branching angles of 43 degrees is found; these angles do not significantly depend on the distance from the needle or on the gas pressure.