Simulation of initial discharge path using combined percolation and electric circuit model

Sasaki, Akira; Takahashi, Eiichi*; Kato, Susumu*; Kishimoto, Yasuaki*

A new simulation model of the initiation of high pressure discharge is presented. The model reproduces branching and detouring properties of the discharge path. The model is based on combined random percolation and electric circuit models. We show that the idea of phase transition allows one to renormalize the effect of elementary atomic processes and to perform calculation of the discharge path with a realistic scale (mm to km). As a simple application of the model, discharge through a pre-ionized channel created by a laser irradiation, is investigated, which shows stochastic behaviors of the discharge guiding.