Pattern formation based on the triple-layer coupling mechanism.

We report on the first investigation of the triple-layer coupling pattern formation in a dielectric barrier discharge system. The pattern basically consists of one discharge subpattern ignited in the gas gap and two surface-charge subpatterns deposited on the dielectric surfaces. The coupling of the three subpatterns (layers) is presented by analyzing the time-resolved discharge sequence of a white-eye hexagonal super lattice pattern (WEHSP). A triple-layer coupling reaction-diffusion regime is also established to conduct simulations and the simulated WEHSP agrees well with the experiment. This paper will provide a deeper understanding for the layer coupling mechanism in pattern formation.