Sheath characteristics in plasma carrying finite mass negative ions and ionization at low frequency

The sheath characteristics are investigated in a collisional environment by considering three electronegative plasmas, namely CF₄, Oxygen, and C₆₀ plasmas. Specifically, positive ion velocity, electrostatic potential, charged species densities and net space charged density are examined inside the sheath region with the variation of collisional parameter, mass ratio of negative to positive ions, temperature ratios of electrons to positive ions and electrons to negative ions, non-neutrality parameter and negative ion density. Collisional cross-section is assumed to have a power-law dependence, and both the cases of constant mobility and constant collisional cross-section are discussed and compared. In order to introduce the concept of finite mass of negative ions, both kinds of ions are considered to be governed by their fluid equations, where contribution of ionization, attachment, and detachment is also taken through the continuity equations.     

Electron-catalyzed mutual neutralization of various anions with Ar+: evidence of a new plasma process

The mutual neutralization of anions with Ar+ has been studied by variable electron and neutral density attachment mass spectrometry. Evidence of a previously unobserved plasma loss process, electron-catalyzed mutual neutralization (ECMN), e.g., SF6-+Ar+ + e-→neutrals + e-, is reported. Results for 10 species suggest that ECMN occurs generally and significantly affects the total ion-loss rate in plasmas with electron densities exceeding 10(10) cm-3. ECMN is discussed in the context of other known three-body plasma processes, the mechanisms for which appear insufficient to explain the observed effect. A mechanism for ECMN involving an incident electron facilitating energy transfer to the internal modes of the anion is proposed.     

The Calculations of the Concentrations,of the Radial Distributions,and of the Radial Particle Currents of Excited and of Doubly Charged Ions in Low Pressure Discharges

A system of differential equations describing the radial profiles of the number densities and of the radial drift velocities of the ions and of the electrons in positive columns at low pressure containing several species of ions is derived. Excited ions and doubly charged ions, generated in two-step processes by electron impacts, the inertia of the ions and space charge effects are taken into account. For the excited ions de-excitation processes by electron collisions and by spontaneous emission are regarded. A set of nonlinear equations to determine the population densities and the initial values of the differential equations and corresponding boundary conditions are put up. Numerical solutions are given for discharges in argon under free-fall conditions similiar to argon ion lasers. One notices that without stepwise processes via excited ion levels the concentration of double charged ions remains small. In some cases the radial drift of the ions considerably reduces the population of the metastable ion levels. The radial density profiles of the double charged ions and of long-living excited ions considerably deviate from the squared radial profile of the electron density. In addition, for low degrees of ionization the theory of the free-fall column given by Tonks and Langmuir is extended to plasmas containing two species of ions.     

Neutral Beam Injection for the Doublet III Device

Neutral beam injection into Doublet III has been considered with regard to the calculation of non thermalizing particle orbits and the confinement of such orbits. Injected particle loss, based upon these orbits, toroidal gyro-radius effects, and plasma transparency, is calculated to be on the order of 5 percent for coinjection. Near-perpendicular injection at 80 keV has been chosen with the resulting available injection window of 1014 cm-3 ? n(0) ? 3 × 1014 cm-3. Injection into plasmas with n(0) ? 1014 cm-3 will yield large losses due to the increasing transparency of the plasma, whereas injection into plasmas with n(0) ? 3 × 1014 cm-3 shifts the deposition profile toward the plasma edge.     

Detailed comparison between probe density measurements of glow discharge in argon and in helium

In this article we shall look a bit more closely at some of the fundamental plasma parameters obtained by a cylindrical Langmuir probe within low-pressure electrical gas discharge plasma. The presented measurements were made in argon and in helium glow discharge plasmas. We are mainly concerned with the densities of the charged particles (electrons and ions) within the plasma and the effect of the discharge conditions upon them. The electron density is calculated from the electron current at the space potential and from the integration over the EEDF. The ion density is calculated by using the OML collisionless theory. The parameterization of Laframboise's numerical results is also used for the ion density calculation. In the range of our experimental conditions the results of plasma density, for both gases, tend to show that the ion densities measured with the OML and Laframboise theories exceeds the measured electron densities. The results also show that the plasma electron and ion densities increased with both discharge power and gas pressure.     

Electrical Conductivity of Nonideal Plasma

The electrical conductivity of fully ionized moderately nonideal plasmas with coulomb interaction parameters 0.1 < ? ? 1 where ? = Ze2n1/3/KT is the ratio of coulomb and thermal energies is calculated for displaced Maxwell and Fermi electron distributions, respectively. The electrons are scattered by an effective coulomb potential ?(r) = Zer-1 exp (-r/?) which considers binary (0 < r < ?) and many-body (? < r < ?) interactions. The shielding distance is given by ? = ?(4?n/3Z)-1/3 with ? = ?0?-N ~ 1 for classical plasmas and ? = ?(4?n/3Z)-1/3 with ? = ?0?-N?-M ~ 1 for quantum plasmas, where ? = Ze2n1/3/h2 m-1n2/3 is the ratio of coulomb interaction and quantum potential energies of the electrons. It is shown that the resulting conductivity formulas are applicable to densities up to four orders of magnitude higher than those of the ideal conductivity theory, which breaks down at higher densities because the Debye radius loses its physical meaning as a shielding length and upper impact parameter.     

Ionization and Cohesion in Dense Plasmas

Approximate formulas are derived for the critical density and pressure at which the atoms of hydrogen-like plasmas become ionized due to overlapping of the wave functions. By this mechanism, not only the thermally excited but also the ground state atoms of alkali plasmas become ionized already at moderate pressures. Numerical examples are given for H, Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs plasmas. It is shown that the (negative) electron-ion interaction energy balances the (positive) thermal energy for sufficiently high electron densities (e.g., n ~ 1020 cm-3 for T ~ 104 K) so that the plasma assumes a cohesive state similar to that of a (liquid) metal. From the quantum effects, the electron exchange energy contributes significantly to this "self-containment" of dense plasmas.     

Untersuchung der unelastischen Wechselwirkung langsamer monoenergetischer Elektronen mit einfachen Kohlenwasserstoff-Molekülen I.Elektronenanlagerungs-Wirkungsquerschnitte in Abhängikeit von der Elektronenenergie und vom Molekülaufbau

Investigation of the Inelastic Interaction of Slow Monoenergetic Electrons with Simple Hydrocarbon Molecules. I. Dependence of the Electron Attachment Cross Sections on Electron Energy and on Molecular Structure The formation of negative ions from a series of simple hydrocarbons was studied experimentally via an interaction of hydrocarbon molecules with monoenergetic electrons in the range of 0–15 eV. The ion formation is characterized by means of the attachment cross section in dependence on electron energy. Negative ions were formed as well by dissociative electron attachment as by direct electron attachment. The electron attachment is depending on electron energy, molecular seize, and on the number of unsaturated C-C-bonds in the molecule. The formation processes are discussed and the role of negative hydrocarbon ions in the plasma is estimated.     

On kinetic Alfvén waves in a dusty plasma

The dispersion and damping of a dust-modified kinetic Alfvén wave, and a lower frequency dust kinetic Alfvén wave, is investigated in a dusty plasma comprising electrons, ions, and negative dust. It is found that, when dust dynamics is neglected, the presence of cold dust modifies the usual kinetic Alfvén wave dispersion and damping owing to the inequality of the electron and ion densities. The dispersion relation of the dust kinetic Alfvén wave, with frequency below the dust cyclotron frequency, depends on the density and temperature parameters of all three species, and the wave damping is due to both electrons and ions.     

HT-7托卡马克等离子体密度调制实验中的逃逸电子行为

在HT-7托卡马克的等离子体密度调制实验中,通过对欧姆和低杂波电流驱动两种放电条件下等离子体逃逸电子辐射行为的研究,验证了非准稳态等离子体中逃逸电子的产生机制,研究了欧姆和低杂波电流驱动两种放电条件下的大量充气对等离子体整体约束性能的影响。研究结果发现:放电过程中额外的大量工作气体的充入使等离子体偏离了准稳态,逃逸电子初级产生机制和次级产生机制准稳态的假设条件被打破,这时候需要利用非准稳态条件下修正后的逃逸电子归一化阈值速度来解释逃逸电子的辐射行为; 同时也发现放电过程中额外的大量工作气体的充入将使等离子体的整体约束性能变差。     

Energy spectrum of one-particle excitations in liquid dielectrics under high pressures and temperatures

The effect of pressure on the conductivity of molecular liquids (hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen) and alkali metals (cesium and rubidium) in the region of the experimentally observed dielectric-metal transition is investigated. It is shown that capture of free electrons by atoms or molecules (resulting in the formation of negative ions) is advantageous from the point of view of energy in liquids under moderately high pressures and temperatures. In spite of the fact that the ionization potential increases with density, the energy of an electron transition to the level of the negative ion decreases and, hence, the forbidden gap also decreases. For high densities, the level of negative ions is broadened and transformed into the conduction band. It is assumed that the exponential dependence of conductivity on density and temperature in the transition region is associated with transfer of quasi-free electrons located at the level of atomic negative ions. The spectrum of negative ions of hydrogen, oxygen, and cesium in the strongly compressed state is determined, and the forbidden gap calculated for these substances is found to be in good agreement with the results obtained for hydrogen and oxygen in single shock-wave experiments.     

Probe Measurements in Electronegative Plasmas: Modeling the Perturbative Effects of the Probe‐Holder

A basic property of an electronegative plasma is its separation into two distinct regions: an ion‐ion region far from boundaries, where the densities of positive and negative ions are higher then electron density, and a near‐boundary electron‐ion region, where negative ions have practically negligible density. This is due to the influence of the ambipolar electric field, which depends on electron (not negative ion) plasma parameters. This electric field “holds off” negative ions from the boundary, as the ions have lower mobility and temperature compared to the electrons. Therefore, negative ions will be repelled by any object inserted into the plasma. This can lead to errors in measurements of negative ion and electron parameters by any invasive method. Numerical modeling of electric probes in an argon‐oxygen plasma clearly demonstrates possible errors of direct measurements of negative ion probe current. This can also affect results from the photo‐detachment method and direct measurements of negative ion energy distribution (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Negative Ion Kinetics in RF Glow Discharges

Using temporally and spatially resolved laser spectroscopy, we have determined the identities, approximate concentrations, effects on the local field, and kinetics of formation and loss of negative ions in RF discharges. Cl- and BCl3- are the dominant negative ions found in low-frequency discharges through Cl2 and BCl3, respectively. The electron affinity for Cl is measured to be 3.6118 ± 0.0005 eV. Negative ion kinetics are strongly affected by application of the RF field. Formation of negative ions by attachment of slow electrons in RF discharges is governed by the extent and duration of electron energy relaxation. Similarly, destruction of negative ions by collisional detachment and field extraction is dependent upon ion energy modulation. Thus, at low frequency, the anion density peaks at the beginning of the anodic and cathodic half-cycles after electrons have attached but before detachment and extraction have had time to occur. At higher frequencies, electrons have insufficient time to attach before they are reheated and the instantaneous anion density in the sheath is greatly reduced. When the negative ion density is comparable to the positive ion density, the plasma potential is observed to lie below the anode potential, double layers form between sheath and plasma, and anions and electrons are accelerated by large sheath fields to electrode surfaces.     

Scaling laws for the spatial distributions of the plasma parameters in the positive column of a dc oxygen discharge

Comprehensive self-consistent simulations of the positive column plasma of a dc oxygen discharge are performed with the help of commercial CFDRC software (), which enables one to carry out computations in an arbitrary 3D geometry using fluid equations for heavy components and a kinetic equation for electrons. The main scaling laws for the spatial distributions of charged particles are determined. These scaling laws are found to be quite different in the parameter ranges that are dominated by different physical processes. At low pressures, both the electrons and negative ions in the inner discharge region obey a Boltzmann distribution; as a result, a flat profile of the electron density and a parabolic profile of the ion density are established there. In the ion balance, transport processes prevail, so that ion heating in an electric field dramatically affects the spatial distribution of the charged particles. At elevated pressures, the volume processes prevail in the balance of negative ions and the profiles of the charged particle densities in the inner region turn out to be similar to each other.     

Linear propagation of dust acoustic modes in the presence of an electron beam

The physical and optical properties of plasmas are depended on dynamics of species in the discharge volume. Then, the presence of an electron beam, as a separate component, in a dusty plasma can modify the plasma structures through altering the discharge parameters. In this report, the linear propagation of acoustic modes in a collisionless dusty plasma contains electrons, ions and charged dust grains is investigated in the presence of an electron beam. Our analysis indicates that the electron beam can modify the dispersion relations of dust acoustic modes which resulted different data transportation in dusty plasmas. The obtained results are also examined for negative and positive charged dust grains with different number densities. The charge of dust grains represents an important role in the dynamics of the low frequency waves. Additionally, our findings reveal that the propagation of acoustic waves in dusty plasmas can be controlled by adjusting the electron number density of the beam and the cathode potential. Lastly, we obtian the destabilizing effects, originated from dust charge fluctuation, by reconsidering the dispersion relations of both dust acoustic modes.     

Implicit Collisional Three-Fluid Simulation of the Plasma Erosion Opening Switch

The plasma erosion opening switch (PEOS) has been studied with the aid of the ANTHEM implicit simulation code. This switch consists of fill plasma injected into a transmission line. The plasma is ultimately removed by self-electrical forces, permitting energy delivery to a load. Here, ANTHEM treats the ions and electrons of the fill plasma and the electrons emitted from the transmission-line cathode as three distinct Eulerian fluids-with electron inertia retained. This permits analysis of charge separation effects, and avoids the singularities that plague conventional MHD codes at low density. E and B fields are computed by the implicit moment method, allowing for time steps well in excess of the electron plasma period ?t >> ?p-1, and cells much wider than a Debye length, ?x >> ?D. Switch dynamics are modeled as a function of the driving electrical pulse characteristics, the fill plasma parameters, and the emission properties of the transmission line walls-for both collisionless and anomalously collisional electrons. Our low-fill-density (ne ? 4 × 1012 electrons/cm3) collisionless calculations are in accord with earlier particle code results. Our high-density computations (ne ? 2 × 1013 electrons/cm3) show the opening of the switch proceeding through both ion erosion and magnetic pressure effects. The addition of anomalous electron collisions is found to diffuse the driving B field into the fill plasma, producing broad current channels and reduced magnetic pressure effects, in some agreement with NRL experimental measurements.     

不同成分等离子体鞘层的玻姆判据

在一维平板鞘层中采用流体模型分别研究了不同成分无碰撞等离子体鞘层的玻姆判据.通过拟牛顿法数值模拟了含有电子、离子、负离子以及二次电子的等离子体鞘层玻姆判据.结果表明二次电子发射增加了鞘层离子马赫数的临界值,且器壁发射二次电子温度越高,离子马赫数临界值越小.负离子使离子马赫数临界值减小.而在含有二次电子和负离子的等离子体鞘层中,当负离子较少时,二次电子发射对离子马赫数临界值影响较大;当负离子增加时,离子马赫数的临界值则主要受负离子的影响. 关键词： 鞘层 等离子体 玻姆判据     

Floating Sheath Potentials in Non-Maxwellian Plasmas

The floating sheath potential in a plasma having a Maxwellian electron distribution function is e?>s = -kTe 1n (a/b)/2 where Te is the electron temperature, a is the ratio of electron temperature to ion temperature, and b is the ratio of electron mass to ion mass. This expression is derived by equating the flux of electrons and ions to a surface in the plasma. Only electrons initially having an energy greater than -e?s flow to the surface. These electrons are in the tail of the distribution, a region that differs significantly from a Maxwellian in many plasmas. An analysis is performed where the sheath potential is solved for using a two-temperature model for the electron distribution function. The two-temperature model accurately describes the distortion from a Maxwellian in the tail of the distribution function. The magnitude of the sheath potential calculated with the two-temperature distribution is significantly smaller than that obtained using a Maxwellian distribution, a result of the reduction in the relative abundance of energetic electrons in the tail of the distribution.     

Inductive current density perturbations to probe electron internal transport barriers in tokamaks

Improved electron energy confinement in tokamak plasmas, related to internal transport barriers, has been linked to nonmonotonic current density profiles. This is difficult to prove experimentally since usually the current profiles evolve continuously and current injection generally requires significant input power. New experiments are presented, in which the inductive current is used to generate positive and negative current density perturbations in the plasma center, with negligible input power. These results demonstrate unambiguously for the first time that the electron confinement can be modified significantly solely by perturbing the current density profile.