The physical parameters and unit processes in the plasma of noble/electronegative gas mixtures in high-energy systems

An experiment using probe and spectroscopic methods has been performed to study the physical processes and the kinetics of nonequilibrium processes in the steady-state and pulsed low-temperature plasmas of mixtures of noble gases with fluorine and some fluorine-containing halides. The results of the experiment are compared with predictions of a numerical simulation. It has been shown that as the percentage of the fluorine-containing gas is varied the average energy goes through a minimum, and the difference between the Townsend coefficients of ionization and attachment goes through an extremum as well. The numerical simulation has demonstrated that these variations in the physical parameters of plasmas are governed by kinetic factors. Ivanovo State University. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 5, pp. 18–24, May, 1999.     

Monte Carlo simulation of electron swarms in nitrogen in uniformE×B fields

The motion of electrons in nitrogen in uniform E× B fields is simulated using the Monte Carlo technique for 240⩽E/N⩽600 Td (1 Td=1×10^-17 V cm²) and 0⩽B/N⩽0.45×10^-17 T cm³ . The electron-molecule collision cross sections adopted are the same cross sections as those used previously for the numerical solution of the Boltzmann equation. The swarm parameters obtained from the Monte Carlo simulation are compared with the Boltzmann solution and with the experimental data available in the literature. In relation to E×B fields, it is concluded that the Monte Carlo approach provides an independent method of substantiating the validity of the equivalent electric-field approach     

The influence of the discharge parameters on the plasma spatial structuring in argon DBDs

The plasma parameters, discharge plasma uniformity and filamentation processes in high pressure (near atmospheric pressure) dielectric barrier discharges (DBD) in argon are studied using the developed two-dimensional 2D(r, z) model. The applied voltage frequency, the voltage shape, the dielectric layers material and its thickness are varied and the effects of such variations on plasma uniformity, discharge structure and operation are studied. The DBD discharges with different dielectric layers thickness, dielectric constants and secondary electron emission coefficients are simulated. It was shown that the dielectric layer thickness is an important parameter for producing high pressure discharges uniform over the radius. The possibility of the radially uniform discharges at atmospheric pressure was shown in the present study.     

Generation of stable mixed-compact-toroid rings by inducing plasmacurrents in strong E rings

In the RECE-Christa device, hybrid-type compact toroid rings are generated by inducing large toroidal plasma currents I_p in strong electron rings using a thin induction coil positioned along the ring axis. Starting from field-reversal values δ_p =50-120% of the original pure fast-electron ring, the induced plasma current I_p raises δ to a maximum value of up to 240% with I_p contributing more than 50% of the total ring current. The generated hybrid compact toroid configurations appear gross-stable during the full I_p pulse length (half-amplitude width about 100 μs)     

Evolution of the density profiles and flows of charged particles during the diffusive decay of an electronegative gas plasma

Different scenarios of the spatiotemporal evolution of the parameters of the diffusive decay of a pulsed electronegative gas plasma in the absence of plasma chemical processes are studied. It is shown that nonlinear diffusion in a plasma with negative ions occurs in several stages. The rate of electron density decay increases with time and, in the beginning of the second stage, almost all the electrons escape from the discharge volume. On the other hand, the ion density profile is smoothed out due to ion-ion ambipolar diffusion and the flow of negative ions toward the wall is absent in the first stage of decay. In the second stage, the main diffusion mode is first established and then the ion-ion (electronless) plasma decays exponentially with a characteristic time determined by ion-ion ambipolar diffusion.     

The townsend coefficient and runaway of electrons in electronegative gas

We have studied the character of variation of the number of electrons formed in an electronegative gas (SF₆) under the action of an external electric field. At any value of the electric field strength E, the number of generated electrons exponentially increases with the distance from the cathode, while the average velocity and energy of electrons attain constant values. At small values of the reduced field strength, E/p<94 V/(cm Torr) (p is the gas pressure), the regime of electron attachment prevails that is characterized by negative values of the exponent (negative Townsend coefficients). For E/p>94 V/(cm Torr), the electron multiplication proceeds in the usual Townsend regime with positive exponents. In the intermediate region of E/p=40–160 V/(cm Torr), the electron multiplication coefficient exhibits a linear dependence on E/p. Numerical calculations based on a simple model show that the Townsend multiplication regime takes place even in very strong fields where the drag caused by ionization can be ignored. A universal function describing the electron runaway in SF₆ is obtained.     

Surface modification of polypropylene with an atmospheric pressure plasma jet sustained in argon and an argon/water vapour mixture

In this paper, an atmospheric pressure plasma jet sustained in pure argon and an argon/water vapour mixture has been used to modify the surface of polypropylene (PP) films. The gas temperature of the plasma jet was found to be 625 K in an active zone between the electrodes and was found to increase in the afterglow. Based on these results, the PP films are placed as close as possible to the edge of the capillary in order to avoid thermal damage to the polymer. XPS results on the untreated and modified PP samples revealed incorporation of a significant amount of oxygen on the polymer surface, however, this oxygen inclusion is more pronounced for the argon/water vapour jet due to the higher radicals density in the jet afterglow. One can therefore conclude that adding water vapour to an argon plasma jet can be a convenient way to increase the efficiency of plasma surface modification.     

Single bubble of an electronegative gas in transformer oil in the presence of an electric field

The influence of the electric field on a single air bubble in transformer oil has been studied. It has been shown that, depending on its size, the bubble may initiate breakdown. The sizes of air and sulfur hexafluoride bubbles at which breakdown will not be observed have been estimated based on the condition for the avalanche-to-streamer transition.     

Experimental investigation of nonlocality effects in the electron energy spectrum in an electronegative gas

The nonlocality of the electron energy distribution function (EEDF) in a dc discharge in oxygen is observed experimentally. A method is developed for measuring the isotropic part of the EEDF in a low-temperature plasma of electronegative gases. The radial dependence of the EEDF and the radial distributions of the electron density, the average electron energy, and the potential are determined. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 63, No. 7, 511–516 (10 April 1996)     

The behavior of nitrogen excited in an inductively coupled argon plasma

An inductively coupled argon plasma, working at atmospherique pressure, was used as an excitation source for nitrogen gas. Excitation of atomic lines of N and of molecular bands of N₂ and N⁺₂ were observed. Two lines (389.2 and 388.8 nm) which were not previously described, are attributed to atomic nitrogen. Using the first negative system of N⁺₂, several temperature-measurement methods were used according to the resolving power of the monochromator. Good agreement is found between the rotational (4500–5000 K) and excitation temperatures (4500–5100 K) of elements injected into the plasma.