A theoretical and experimental investigation of long-pulse,electron-beam-produced rare gas plasmas

Visible emission spectroscopy (380-650 nm) has been performed on intense, electron beam (1 kA, 300 ns, 300 kV) produced Ar, Kr, and Xe plasmas at pressures ranging from 10 to 750 torr. Singly ionized and neutral lines dominated the spectra in all cases except argon, where only singly ionized lines occurred. The temperature of the plasma as determined by comparing line intensities was between 1 and 2 eV. A computer model for chemical kinetics of the electron-beam-produced plasmas in Ar, Kr, and Xe was formulated. The model predicts time, pressure, and temperature trends of the ions, neutrals, and electrons, which agree with trends found experimentally