ATMOSPHERIC PULSEDDIFFUSEDISCHARGE INHIGHLY NON- UNIFORM FIELDSTO BEUSEDFOR STERILIZATIONAND DECONTAMINATION

systems, characterized byhighly nonuniform distribution ofelectric fields, itispossible toincrease substantially the Gas discharge sterilization techniques havesome interelectrode gaplength aswellastheeffective volume principal merits ascompared toconventionally used ofsterilization chambers. Atthepulse duration fromtens methods. Amongthemthefollowing onesshould be tohundreds ofnanoseconds thedischarge regime is mentioned: low temperatures of sterilization, high realized whichischaracterized bytheappearance ofso efficiency, lowenergyconsumption, lowcostand called "runaway" electrons [1]. Thatresults inthemildXsimplicity ofequipment maintenance. Forwidepractical rayradiation generation whichcontributes to the applications thediffuse gasdischarge ofnanosecond sterilization efficiency increase. duration excited inhighly nonuniform fields ispreferable. Thepulse-periodic diffuse discharge was usedfor Itprovides effective production ofmanyplasma agents of ionization oflarge volumes ofthegaslaser operational sterilization, including themildX-ray radiation. medium.Thepreliminary experimental investigations The highvoltage electric supplysystemofthe havedemonstrated theefficiency ofsuchadischarge at developed experimental equipment isdesigned onthe atmospheric conditions forthedestruction oforganic basis ofapulsed nanosecond generator. Theduration of contamination agents inairincluding verystable oneslike voltage pulses canbechanged from30nsto1gs,the CC14andbenzol [2]. Results ofthediffuse discharge pulse rise timeequals 5ns,themaximal pulse repetition studywiththepurpose ofdetermination itsability to rateequals 100Hz,thepulse amplitude canbevariedsterilize medical instrumentation aregiven below. from30kVupto150kV. Diffuse discharges werestudied at atmospheric