Research Topics

The research performed at the Department of Pulse Plasma Systems (IPS) is focused on the investigation of plasma generated by pulse high-voltage electrical discharges in gases and liquids and its applications. The basic effects that accompany such discharges, either plasmachemical (i.e., dissociation of complex molecules to simpler ones or to atoms, and their excitation and ionization) or physical (i.e., generation of shock waves), are intentionally used to achieve specific effects. The research topics can be specified in the following three basic subjects:
 

• Elementary chemical and physical processes induced by electrical discharge plasma in water and gas-liquid environments
• Development of low-temperature pulsed/DC electrical discharges in gases and water of various reactor design
• Potential applications - environmental, biological, chemical (destruction of organic pollutants, inactivation of microorganisms in water, organic synthesis, etc.)

• Physics of focused shock waves generated by discharge plasma in water
• Biological effects of focused shock waves
• Biomedical applications - lithotripsy (disintegration of kidney stones), interactions with soft tissues (cancer treatment), controlled drug delivery (chemotherapy)

• Fundamental physical and chemical processes in gas discharges (pulsed corona, DBDs) at atmospheric pressure
• Research of chemical kinetics and elementary energy transfer processes in low temperature plasmas using fast multichannel emission spectroscopy and LIF diagnostics
• Potential applications - environmental, biomedical (pollution control, surface processing, ozone synthesis, etc.)