VUV spectra of krypton-xenon mixtures in a cooled DC-excited discharge

An experimental study was made of VUV spectra of a gas-discharge krypton plasma with a xenon impurity. The mixture pressure, the xenon impurity concentration, and the current were varied in ranges of 40–1000 hPa, 0.001–1%, and 10–50 mA, respectively. The heteronuclear XeKr dimers were shown to play a crucial role in the quenching of excitation energy of krypton dimers. The mechanism of transformation of the energy of excited krypton dimers in a low-temperature plasma of a binary krypton-xenon mixture is discussed.     

Emission characteristics and electron kinetic coefficients of the plasma of a transverse volume discharge initiated in a mixture of heavy inert gases with chlorine molecules

The results of studying the radiation due to argon, krypton, and xenon monochloride bands, as well as to the bands of chlorine molecules, from the plasma of a transverse Ar-Kr-Xe-Cl₂ volume discharge are reported. The working mixture of a pulse radiation source is optimized with regard to its pressure and elemental composition and parameters of an excitation system. By numerically solving the Boltzmann kinetic equation for the electron energy distribution function, the transport characteristics of plasma electrons and discharge power specific losses are found for different values of the reduced electric field strength. The plasma parameters are simulated for the quaternary mixture, which is most appropriate for a multiwave UV-VUV source. Qualitative analysis is conducted for the most important electron processes in the multicomponent plasma that govern the joint formation of argon, krypton, and xenon monochlorides in the transverse discharge.     

Emission characteristics of pulse-periodic barrier-discharge plasma in a mixture of krypton with argon and liquid freon vapor

Radiation of a nanosecond barrier discharge in a mixture of krypton, argon, and carbon-tetrachloride vapor is studied in the spectral range of 150–300 nm. The plasma radiation spectra and the dependences of the intensities of the 258 nm Cl₂(D′ → A′), 222 nm KrCl(B → X), and 175 nm ArCl(B → X) bands on the partial pressure of liquid freon vapor, argon, and krypton, as well as on the discharge excitation conditions, are studied. The optimal compositions of gas mixtures for creating a broadband UV-VUV emitter based on the band system of argon chloride, krypton chloride, and chlorine molecule are determined.     

Impact of the Vibrationally Excited States on the Macroscopic Behaviour of the Band-like Electron Beam Discharge Plasma in H/H2-Mixture

The investigation of the impact of the vibrationally excited molecules in the electronic ground state was performed by simultaneously solving a balance equation system for the main charge carriers, the H atoms, the metastable H atoms, the H₂ molecules in the different vibrational states and for the power transfer of the electrons in the beam discharge mixture plasma. The balance equations for the vibrational states include in particular one-quantum step excitation and deexcitation, electronic excitation, dissociation and ionization from each vibrational level in electron collisions as well as the finite life time of these states because of the gas transfer through the band-like plasma. A main finding is that due to the additional impact of vibrationally excited molecules there is a marked enhancement of the resulting dissociation and ionization degree in the beam discharge plasma at medium power input from the turbulent electric field. For discharge parameters of practical interest the ionization and dissociation budget, the population of the vibrational states, the different energy dissipation processes and the energy pumping into the ladder of the vibrational states were calculated and discussed in detail.     

VUV spectrum of the barrier discharge in a krypton-xenon mixture

VUV spectra of a barrier discharge in a krypton-xenon mixture at the pressure P=400 hPa were experimentally studied. The xenon addition was varied in a range of 0.01–1%. The supply voltage frequency was 20 kHz. The form of spectra and their evolution at different xenon impurity concentrations were analyzed by solving the system of nonlinear differential equations simulating the main processes taking place in the active phase of a discharge and in the afterglow. The analysis supports the results obtained earlier and qualitatively describes the experimental spectra.     

Emission characteristics of a barrier discharge in an Ar-H2O mixture

We have experimentally studied the UV radiation of a low-temperature barrier discharge plasma in an Ar-H₂O mixture. The spectral interval 300–400 nm has been examined in detail. Addition of argon with a pressure of 24 kPa to a barrier discharge in water vapor at a pressure of ～0.1 kPa leads to a ninefold increase in the UV radiation power of excited hydroxyl molecules. An increase in the duration of the UV radiation pulse of the mixture in the longitudinal discharge decay has been achieved for the first time, which may be direct evidence of energy transfer from metastable argon atoms to water molecules. An estimate of the upper boundary of the dissociative excitation rate constant of hydroxyl molecules OH*(A ²Σ⁺) upon interaction of metastable argon atoms with water molecules has been obtained.     

发射光谱研究氩气/空气混合气体介质阻挡放电能量传递过程

使用水电极介质阻挡放电装置,对比氩气与氩气/少量空气的混合气体以及空气与空气/少量氩气的混合气体放电的发射光谱,研究了氩气与空气相混合时气体放电中的能量传递过程。实验发现, 当氩气中加入少量的空气时,氩原子谱线均变弱,说明空气中的氮分子对氩原子的各激发态具有猝灭作用。并且随着空气含量的增加,各谱线变弱的速率不同。越是与氮分子的激发电位接近的氩原子的激发态被猝灭的作用越明显。另一方面,当空气中加入少量氩气时,发现氮分子第二正带系和氮分子离子第一负带系的谱线均被增强。说明在空气/少量氩气放电中,氮分子的激发由于亚稳态氩原子的潘宁激发传能而增强。因此在氩气/空气混合气体放电中,气体成分及比例影响放电的发光特性和能量传输特性。     

大气压介质阻挡放电超四边形斑图的等离子体参量

本工作利用双水电极介质阻挡放电装置,采用发射光谱方法,在大气压氩气介质阻挡放电中研究了由不同空间尺度 微放电通道构成的超四边形斑图的等离子体参量.实验发现直径较大的微放电通道(大点)和直径较小的微放电通道(小点)亮度不同.采用氮分子第二正带系谱线计算了分子振动温度,利用谱线强度比方法得到了电子激发温度,用氩原子696.54 nm谱线的Stark展宽估算了电子密度.结果显示小点的电子密度和分子振动温度均高于大点,而电子激发温度低于大点.这说明稳定超四边形斑图中不同尺度微放电的等离子体状态不同.     

狭缝微放电等离子体参数的光谱测量

利用平行管水电极介质阻挡放电装置,在氩气和空气混合气体中,得到了狭缝微放电等离子体。利用发射光谱法,研究了此放电中分子振动温度、分子转动温度和电子的平均能量随气体压强的变化。通过氮分子第二正带系(C3Πu→B3Πg)的发射谱线计算了氮分子的振动温度;利用氮分子离子(N2+)的第一负带系(B2Σu+→X2Σg+)的发射谱线计算了氮分子的转动温度;测量了氮分子离子391.4 nm和激发态的氮分子337.1 nm两条发射谱线的相对强度之比,研究了电子能量的变化。结果表明,当压强从60 kPa增大到100kPa,分子振动温度及分子转动温度均减小,氮分子离子谱线与激发态的氮分子谱线的强度之比亦减小。     

Possible application of a volume avalanche discharge initiated by an electron beam for designing a krypton dimer laser

The emissive and amplifying properties of volume nanosecond discharge plasma formed at high pressures in krypton have been investigated theoretically and experimentally. It is theoretically shown that lasing can be obtained in this type of discharge at krypton pressures exceeding 6–7 atm. In the discharge gap with a cathode of small curvature radius, volume discharge without preliminary ionization is obtained at a high pressure and intense krypton dimer emission that peaks at a wavelength of 146 nm is detected. It is shown that, upon excitation by a volume avalanche discharge initiated by an electron beam, no less than 90% of the energy in the range 120–540 nm is emitted by krypton dimers. At a krypton pressure of 1.5 atm, an energy of ～30 mJ of spontaneous emission into the total solid angle and a radiation pulse width at half maximum of ～240 ns are obtained.     

Optical characteristics of barrier discharge plasma based on mixtures of cadmium diiodide vapors with gases

The spectral, integrated, and working life characteristics of the radiation from atmospheric pressure gas discharge plasma based on multicomponent mixtures (cadmium diiodide with helium and small admixtures of molecular nitrogen and xenon) are analyzed. A pulsed barrier discharge (pulse repetition rates 5000, 5500, and 6000 Hz; pulse duration ～150 ns) is used both to produce the gas discharge plasma and to excite the components of the working mixture. Visible radiation is detected from excimer molecules of cadmium monoiodide and cadmium, xenon, and krypton atoms. Regular features are found in the variations of optical plasma characteristics with pumping pulse repetition rate and with component and quantitative mixture composition.     

Investigation of the glow and contracted discharge plasmas in nitrogen by coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy,optical interferometry,and numerical simulation

The translational temperature in the plasma of glow and contracted discharges is measured using the methods of coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy and optical interferometry. The current density in the discharge is determined by measuring the electron concentration with optical interferometry and emission spectroscopy. The distribution of nitrogen molecules over vibrational and rotational levels in the ground state, the electron energy distribution, and the time dependence of the gas temperature are numerically found based on a model including the homogeneous Boltzmann equation and balance equations for the concentrations of charged and excited particles and for the gas temperature. The dynamics of transition to the quasi-steady-state distribution of nitrogen molecules over vibrational levels is studied.     

Emission characteristics and parameters of gas-discharge plasma in mixtures of heavy inert gases with chlorine

The ultraviolet (UV) radiation from longitudinal glow-discharge plasma in three- and four-component mixtures of argon, krypton, and xenon with chlorine has been investigated. The total radiation of Ar, Kr, and Xe monochlorides and chlorine molecules in the spectral range 170–310 nm has been optimized with respect to the composition and the pressure of gas mixtures, as well as the discharge current. The mean output power, the electric power of discharge, and the efficiency of a broadband low-pressure exciplex halogen lamp have been determined. Parameters of the glow discharge in Ar-Kr-Cl₂ and Kr-Xe-Cl₂ mixtures have been simulated numerically. The electron energy distribution functions have been determined through the solution of the Boltzmann kinetic equation. These functions have been used to calculate the plasma parameters, namely, electron transfer characteristics, specific losses of discharge power for electronic processes, and ionization and attachment coefficients.     

Calculation of the parameters of vacuum-ultraviolet emission of excimers in the plasma of a barrier discharge in a krypton-xenon mixture

The intensities of vacuum-ultraviolet emission of excimers in a krypton-xenon mixture are calculated in terms of the homogeneous model of a barrier discharge. The mechanisms of the formation of excimer molecules are investigated at different xenon concentrations. The obtained dependences of the efficiency of vacuum-ultraviolet emission on the reduced electric field E/N (where E is the electric field strength and N is the particle concentration of the gas) and the xenon content exhibit a plateau and a subsequent steep decline. The efficiency of vacuum-ultraviolet emission reaches a maximum at the plateau when the xenon content δ is approximately equal to 40%. The concentrations of xenon excimers can be as high as 10¹⁴–10¹⁵ cm^?3. This is comparable to the concentrations in a barrier discharge in pure xenon.     

Vapour-liquid equilibrium in the krypton-xenon system

Isothermal vapour-liquid data were measured for the krypton-xenon system at ten temperatures between 165 and 270 K and pressures to 6.7 MPa, using a vapour recirculating technique. The mixture critical line has been located in (P, T, x) space. Barker's method of data reduction has been used to test the thermodynamic consistency of isotherms below the critical temperature of krypton (209.4 K) and the excess Gibbs energy was evaluated, at the same temperatures, as a function of composition. The results of the experiments have been compared with predictions of the Peng-Robinson equation of state. With interaction parameter calculated by fitting the isotherm of 200.64 K, this equation predicts the liquid and vapour phase compositions to within about a few mole per cent over most of the experimental range.     

Effect of Excitation and Vibrational Temperature on the Dissociation of Nitrogen Molecules in Ar-N2 Mixture RF Discharge

Non-equilibrium argon-nitrogen mixture plasma generated at 13.56 MHz is characterized by optical emission spectroscopy and Langmuir probe techniques. The excitation and vibrational temperature are studied as a function of argon percentage in the mixture, at 30-Pa filling pressure and input RF powers of 200 and 300 watt, to find out their role in dissociation of N₂ molecules. In this work, the excitation temperature is determined from Ar-I emission line intensities by using the simple Boltzmann plot method and is found to increase with argon mixing in nitrogen plasma. In similar fashion, the vibrational temperature of second positive system has been determined and is found to also have increasing trend with argon addition. The effect of excitation and vibrational temperature on the nitrogen molecular dissociation level is also monitored. It is observed that N/N ₂ ratio increases with increase in excitation and vibrational temperature and falls slightly at the end.     

Intermolecular interactions and excess thermodynamic properties of argon-krypton and krypton-xenon mixtures

Recently, reliable pair-potentials have been obtained for argon, krypton and xenon. Pair-potentials of similar form are obtained for the argon-krypton and krypton-xenon interactions. Three parameters are adjusted to give experimental values for the long-range r ^-6 term and the excess free energy and excess volume for an equimolar liquid mixture at zero pressure and a specified temperature. The excess thermodynamic properties are calculated from the Barker-Henderson perturbation theory, which has been shown to give good values for the excess thermodynamic properties of mixtures of 6:12 molecules, with the contributions of three-body forces and quantum effects included. Excellent agreement with the excess properties of argon-krypton and krypton-xenon mixtures is found at all concentrations.     

Simulation of emission spectra of the gas-discharge plasma of a krypton-xenon mixture

The narrow-band radiation observed in the range of the resonance line of xenon at 147 nm in the VUV emission spectra of the gas-discharge plasma of a krypton-xenon mixture is proposed to interpret as a manifestation of bound-bound transitions between the vibrational levels of the excited electronic states 0⁺(³ P ₁) and 1(³ P ₁) and the ground electronic state 0⁺(¹ S ₀) in the KrXe* molecule. A correction of the potential curves of the electronic states under consideration is proposed from a comparison of the calculated and experimental spectra.     

Optical characteristics of the plasma of a nanosecond atmospheric-pressure volume discharge in a nonuniform electric field

Optical characteristics of the plasma of nanosecond volume discharges in air, nitrogen, krypton, argon, neon, and Ar/N₂ and Ar/Xe mixtures at elevated pressures are investigated. The discharges are excited in a gap with a cathode of small curvature radius. The waveforms and spectra of plasma emission from discharges in different gases in the 230-to 600-nm spectral range are measured. Optical generation in an Ar/Xe mixture is achieved at an active length of 1.5 cm. A comparison is performed of the spectral characteristics of the emission from nitrogen, krypton, argon, and neon excited by a volume discharge in a nonuniform electric field, by a nanosecond electron beam, and by a pulsed volume discharge in a uniform electric field at a high initial voltage.     

Influence of the gas mixture temperature on the efficiency of synthesis gas production from ethanol in a nonequilibrium plasma

The mechanism behind the plasma conversion of a mixture of ethanol vapor, water vapor, air, and carbon dioxide CO₂ in the nonequilibrium plasma of a tornado discharge is studied. The influence of the CO₂ flow rate, the current through the discharge, and the gas temperature in the discharge on the concentrations of molecular hydrogen and carbon monoxide CO is studied. Comparison between the concentrations of the gaseous mixture’s main components at the output from the reactor obtained experimentally and by numerical simulation shows that the adopted kinetic mechanism adequately describes the plasma kinetics in the mixture.