The propagation of plasma jets with argon gas is characterized in terms of two factors, the effect of electric field distribution along the tube and the effect of voltage polarity, from the observed results of optical signals along the entire column of plasma. The optical signal of plasma propagates from the high electric-field region of high-voltage electrode toward the low field region of the open air-space, regardless of the polarity of the voltage. The optical intensity and the propagation velocity are higher for the positive voltage than for the negative voltage. Moreover, the length of plasma plume exited from the end of the glass tube into the open air is shorter for the negative voltage. When the optical intensity is strong enough, a secondary peak signal follows the primary peak. In the plasma column on the inside of the glass tube, the optical intensity and the propagation velocity depend on the strength of the electric field; they are both high at the high-field region of voltage terminal and decay toward the end of the tube. The velocity is as fast as 10(4) m/s at the high-field region and slows down to 10(3) m/s at the low-field region of the glass-tube end. However, the plasma accelerates drastically to be (10(4)-10(5)) m/s after exiting the glass tube toward open air, even though the electric field is a quite low and thus the optical signal decays low before fading out. The experimental observations present in this report are explained with the propagation of the plasma diffusion waves. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.