Role of surface charges in dc gas-discharge systems with high-ohmic electrodes

Surface charge of the electrodes is investigated for planar dc gas-discharge systems. Both analytical estimates and experimental data show that such a charge plays an important role for the dc systems with a high-ohmic electrode. This is demonstrated by several experiments concerning discharge establishment and pattern formation phenomena. The surface charge has an inhibitory role, as it diminishes the electric field in the gas. Due to the low mobility of the surface charges, their distribution can be nonuniform giving rise to the observable filamentary structure of the discharge. It is also shown that the surface charge effect can be naturally incorporated in existing phenomenological models of the planar discharge. Thereby one can explain several observable phenomena, such as stability, multiplicity, and motion of the localized structures.