Radiation Efficiency and Kinetic Calculations for the Positive Column in Hg/Ar Mixtures II. Impact of Tube Radius and Current Density

In a preceding part of the paper, based on experimental methods and on a corresponding kinetic model, especially the impact of the effective life times of the 6³P₁ and 6¹P₁ Hg resonance levels on the main properties of the low pressure Hg-–Ar positive column has been studied. In the presented second part these investigations, which have been performed under the aspect of their application in fluorescent lamps, will be continued. They are related to the effects of tube radius and discharge current density. New fluorescent lamps have reduced tube radii from R = 18 to 13 mm and compact lamps down to R = 5 mm. Thus it is of interest to study the electron distribution function and main macroscopic properties of such low pressure discharge plasmas, where the latter properties are obtained by adequate energy space averaging. At first, results are reported and discussed which are related to the dependence of main plasma parameters on the Hg partial pressure when reducing the discharge tube radius for constant discharge current i and argon pressure pAr. Starting from the electron distribution function the particle and energy budget will be studied in detail, especially of course the change of the ultraviolet radiation output from both Hg resonance levels 6³P₁ and 6¹P₁ and, in addition, of visible radiation. Then, to understand the effect of the discharge current density, as a representative example two cases with different values of R, i and PAr but with equal current density have been investigated and discussed. Altogether the investigations made will shed light upon the complex relations in the mentioned mixture plasma and give hints to select suitable parameter values which can be useful to improve light sources.     

Probe measurements in a discharge with liquid nonmetallic electrodes in air at atmospheric pressure

Discharges with liquid nonmetallic electrodes of much interest for applications are investigated. It is found that a dc discharge between two streams of tap water in air at atmospheric pressure is stable at a currentof 40≤I≤100 mA. The discharge exists in the diffuse (volume) form with a relatively low current density (∼0.2 A/cm²) and a high (above one kilovolt) voltage drop across the air gap (∼1 cm) between the water electrodes. The current density and voltage depend only slightly on the discharge current. Probe measurements show that three regions can be distinguished in the discharge: two electrode regions (1–2 mm in length) and a discharge column with a constant electric field of ≈0.8 kV/cm (i.e., E/N≈20 Td, because the gas in the discharge is heated up to 1500–2000 K). The average electric field strength near the electrodes is E≈2–3×10³ V/cm (E/N≈60–80 Td). The charged particle density in the column is n ∼ 10¹² cm⁻³. The probe measurements of n agree with the previous microwave absorption measurements. The water vapor concentration in the column is also estimated from probe measurements.     

感应磁场压缩下氢等离子体中巴耳末系谱线的斯塔克加宽

本工作研究感应磁场压缩下,氢等离子体中的巴耳末系谱线的斯塔克加宽。电容器对围绕在放电管外部的线圈放电,产生交变轴向磁场,使放电管中氢气离化、压缩与加热。放电周期14微秒,放电电压20千伏,最大电流165千安,初始工作气压2.0×10^-1毫米汞高。用照相方法研究H_β和H_γ的轮廓。这些谱线有显著的加宽。在整个发光阶段中,H_β的平均半宽度为14—16(埃),H_γ为18—19(埃),相应的离子密度为1.7—2.5×10¹⁶厘米^-3。实验轮廓与Griem,Kolb和Shen的理论较为接近,与Holtsmark理论相差较远。光电测量进一步表明:H_β的轮廓随着时间而改变,相应的离子密度亦在改变。在放电的第三半周期初级电流极大时,离子密度最大,达到3.2×1O¹⁶厘米^-3,为初始氢原子密度的2.2倍。     

Zur O2-Dissoziation in der Gleichstromglimmentladung. Teil I Bestimmung des Dissoziationsgrades mittels der O3-Bildung an gekühlten Oberflächen

The synthesis of ozone on the surface S cooled with liquid nitrogen O + O₂·S→O₃·S[1] was used to measure the concentration of atoms in a flow tube downstream of a d.c. discharge. The flow tube was constructed in the form of a U-tube. The ozone was deposited as a blue liquid film in the neighbourhood of the surface of the liquid nitrogen on the walls of the part of the U-tube, which was connected with the discharge tube. The oxygen atom decay in the U-tube was observed by measuring the production of ozone as the distance between the discharge tube (diameter: 5,2 cm) and the surface of the liquid nitrogen was varied. The decay is first order in atom concentration for the pressures p > 1 torr. But for the pressures below p = 1 torr near by the discharge tube we observed deviations from the law of decay In [O]₀/[O] = k·t for the currents of about i = 100 mA. This effect was attributed to the process From the extrapolation of an ozone production curve atom concentrations in the discharge have been obtained. The transition from the ?H”? form to the ?T”? form (striated, low average electric field) of the discharge [2] caused the dissociation to decrease rapidly. The highest dissociation (10%) was obtained in the ?H”? form at high currents (i = 120 mA) and low pressures (p = 0,60 torr). The yield of atomic oxygen per kilowatt hour of energy was measured as functions of pressure and gas flow rate for i = 100 mA and i = 50 mA.     

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes mass-produced by dc arc discharge in He–H2 gas mixture

Uniform cathode deposits (longer than 15 mm), containing multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) inside, were produced by dc arc discharge evaporation with a computer-controlled feeder of a pure-carbon electrode without a metal catalyst in a He–H₂ gas mixture. The purification of MWNTs was carried out to remove amorphous carbon and carbon nanoparticles. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy observations and Raman scattering studies show that the MWNTs possess a high crystallinity and a mean outermost diameter of ∼ ∼10 nm. It has been confirmed that the current density in the electron field emission from a purified MWNT mat can reach 77.92 mA/cm², indicating that the purified MWNTs are a promising candidate electron source in a super high-luminance light-source tube or a miniature X-ray source.     

Zur Glimmentladungspolymerisation des Benzols-Vergleich gemessener mit berechneten Wachstumsraten polymerer Filme aus der Ne-Benzol-Entladung

The growth rate of thin polymer films polymerized in the positive column of a dc-glow discharge on the conditions [total pressure: P_neon + P_benzene = 1 Torr, admixture of benzene : 10^?4 < x < 10^?1, discharge current: 1 mA — 15 mA] is calculated and measured. The calculation is based upon a previously developed polymerization model [6], which ascribe the major part of the growth rate to the insertion and crosslink of benzene ions into the substrate surface. The calculated growth rates of the polymer films and the separated portions of the considered polymerization processes correspond to the experiments within the bounds of the actual possibilities of analyzing the model.     

Calculation of the parameters of excimer light sources on the basis of a positive column glow discharge

We calculate the concentration of plasma and gas-temperature components in a contracted filament of a glow capillary discharge (R = 0.75 mm) in xenon for pressures of P = 100 and 400 Torr and currents of I = 6–15 mA for cases of with and without cryogenic cooling of the discharge. We find that the gas temperature in the channel of the glow discharge has a value of 1000–2000 K, the concentration of xenon excimers attains a maximum at the boundary of the filament with a value of 10¹⁰–10¹¹ cm⁻³, and the efficiency of electric energy transformation into excimer radiation energy has a value of 0.1–5%.     

Reaction Kinetics and Chemical Quasi-Equilibria of the Ozone Synthesis in Oxygen DC Discharges

The spatial distribution of ozone and of oxygen atoms was studied along the active and the passive zone of a dc discharge (positive column, pressure: p = (4 … 10) · 10² Pa, current: I = 2 … 50 mA, flow rate: F = 5 … 100 sccm) in flowing oxygen. The composition of the final output O₂/O₃-mixture is controlled by relaxation processes in the passive reactor zone. It is affected sensitively by the total number density and the gas temperature in the afterglow. Steady states meaning reversible chemical quasi-equilibria were observed and analysed extensively. Within a detailed kinetic model the formation of these equilibria can be explained quantitatively. The synthesis to ozone is controlled above all by the metastable O₂ (a¹Δg) species, which modify drastically the results for the basic mechanism, considering the O atoms in the ³P and ¹D states.     

Investigation on the optimal configuration design and discharge characteristics of the helicon plasma tube

Helicon discharge is characterized by its high ionization efficiency. In order to obtain the desired density, the configuration design of the helicon discharge tube is carried out, and the discharge characteristics are then studied to explore the correlation between the plasma parameters and the input discharge parameters. Finite‐length helicon discharge theory is employed to calculate the plasma resistance R _p, and then the optimal tube length L _s, the radius r _p, and the tube–antenna gap d are confirmed. The partial and energy loss mechanisms of the tube are investigated based on low‐pressure discharge particle collision theory. The results show that, for a 10‐cm‐long Nagoya III type antenna, with a tube radius of 4 cm and length of 20 cm, the R _p versus n _e curves have peak values at n _e higher than 10¹² cm⁻³ when the magnetic field intensity B ₀ ≥ 200 G. We find that a local minimum of P _loss exists when p ₀ is ∼1.5–3.0 mTorr; meanwhile, the radial confinement reduces T _e and P _loss at constant p ₀.     

Spectroscopic study of a brush cathode plasma in a magnetic field

The brush cathode helium discharge in the magnetic field has been operated stably at discharge currents larger than those without magnetic field. The diameter of the plasma column has been determined by the configuration of the magnetic field. The measurements of the spectral intensities of the recombination continuum followed by the 2³S-n³P series reveals that the electron density is 1·8 × 10¹³ cm^-3 and the electron temperature is 0·17 eV at a discharge current of 500 mA and a pressure of 0·9 torr for a magnetic flux density of 1·3 kG. The principal quantum number for line merging is 20.     

Synthesis of highly ordered nanopores on alumina by two-step anodization process

Highly ordered anodic alumina was produced, on RF sputtered aluminium on a conductive glass substrate, by two step anodizing process in 0.4 M sulphuric acid at constant cell potentials of between 5 and 25 V and at a constant current density of 20 mA cm⁻². The temperature was kept constant at 15 °C during both anodization processes. The effects of the anodizing potential, current density, and time on the pore diameters were established. Longer anodization periods result in wider irregular pores with reduced porosity for both constant potential and constant current density anodization processes. The current density increases with increasing constant anodizing potential and generally remains constant with time after a sharp rise. Potential drop during constant current density anodization behaves in a similar manner. We confirm that sulphuric acid has a self-ordering potential of 25 V above which burning occurs.     

Ionenschallinstabilitäten in Edelgas-Gleichstromentladungen bei niedrigen Drücken. I. Meßanordnung und experimentelle Ergebnisse

An experimental study of self-excited ion acoustic waves with wavelengths greater than the radius of the discharge tube in a de-low pressure column is presented. The propagation of this type of waves was observed over a pressure range of 5 · 10^?4 torr ≦ p ≦ 10^?1 torr and currents of 0,02 A ≦ i ≦ 0,6 A in various gases (argon, neon, helium, and hydrogen) in cylindrical glass tubes with diameters of d = 2;4 and 6 cm. The Dispersion behaviour and the existence range were measured in dependence of the internal parameters of the discharge (characteristic velocities and collision frequencies) and the geometry of the discharge tube. It is shown, that the existence range depends not only on gas pressure and current but is influenced also by the geometry of the discharge tube. The minimum wavelengths which belong to the upper cut-off frequencies correlate with the radius of the discharge tube at currents higher than i ～ 0,2 A and increasing pressure.     

Subnormal glow discharge in a Xe/Cl2 mixture in a narrow discharge tube

Electrical and optical characteristics of a subnormal glow discharge in a short (L=10 cm) discharge tube with an inner diameter of 5 mm are investigated. The dependences of the discharge current-voltage characteristic, the energy deposition in the discharge, the plasma spectral characteristics in the 130-to 350-nm wavelength range, the emission intensities of the XeCl(D-X) 236-nm and XeCl(B-X) 308-nm bands, and the total emission intensity in the range 180–340 nm on the pressure and composition of the Xe/Cl₂ mixture are studied. Two modes of glow discharge are shown to exist: the low-current mode at a discharge current of I _ch ≤2 mA and the high-current mode at I _ch >2 mA. The transition from one mode to another occurs in a stepwise manner. The increase in the chlorine content causes the discharge voltage and the energy deposition in the plasma to increase. At low pressures of the Xe/Cl₂ mixture (P≤0.7 kPa), stationary strata form in the cathode region. The lower the discharge current, the greater the volume occupied by the strata. This longitudinal discharge acts as a powerful source of continuous broadband emission in the range 180–340 nm, which forms due to overlapping the XeCl(D, B-X) and Cl ₂ ^* bands with edges at λ=236, 308, and 258 nm. The intensity of the 236-nm band is at most 20% of the total intensity of UV radiation. The maximum power of UV radiation (3 W at an efficiency of 8%) is attained at a xenon partial pressure of 250–320 Pa and a total pressure of the mixture of 2 kPa.     

Emissivity of powders prepared from nanoporous carbon

Powders prepared from nanoporous carbon are promising for creating cold emitters, which are essential to the development of reliable next-generation monitors. The results of an experimental study of the temperature and time dependences of the emission current from nanoporous carbon coatings are reported. It is shown that the stable emission may last at least 20 h under continuous operation if the emission current density does not exceed 0.6 mA/cm² at room temperature and an accelerating field strength of 800–1200 V/mm. The highest values of the unstable-in-time current density vary from 2.5 to 3.2 mA/cm².     

Intensity distributions of spectral lines and elementary processes in a negative glow discharge column

The connection is established between the intensity distributions of the spectral lines along a negative glow discharge column and the individual elementary processes which take place in a low-temperature nonequilibrium plasma (direct electron excitation, step processes, recombination, collisions of the second kind, and charge exchange). The experiments were made in pure inert gases and mixtures of them at pressures 1–30 mm Hg and discharge current densities of 10^–2–10⁺¹ mA/cm². Knowledge of the intensity distributions together with some additional data (such as the electron density, the energy distribution function of the electrons, and the population of the levels) makes it possible to estimate more accurately the rates and cross sections of the reactions which lead to excitation of the glow discharge.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 7, pp. 41–49, July, 1980.     

Observation of ring–shaped pulsed DC discharge plasma source using single pole magnet setups for material processing

ABSTRACT

A pulsed direct current (DC) discharge ring–shaped plasma source has been proposed using single pole magnet arrangements, including a center magnet, with magnets in the setups (a): one circle, (b): two circles, and (c): three circles. The three-dimensional (3D) magnetic flux lines profiles, gyro–radii and Hall parameters of the electrons and ions, the electrical discharge characteristics, the temporal evolutions of the ion saturation currents were investigated to characterize the proposed plasma source. The calculated electron gyro–radii, r_e were 0.17, 1.64, 5.82?mm for setups (a), (b), and (c), respectively. The strong ring–shaped plasma discharges was observed for all setups. The typical discharge voltages were 1.0, 0.6, and 0.6?kV for setups (a), (b), and (c), respectively. The ion saturation currents, I_isat were 1.44, 2.88, and 2.2?mA for setups (a), (b), and (c), respectively at r?=?45?mm and t?=?+10?μs. The I_isat of setup (b) is less fluctuating, whereas I_isat of setup (a) and (c) is highly variable in all positions, so that setup (b) has the best profile among the setups.     

Influence of the cathode and anode jets on the properties of a high-current electric arc

A study is made of the effects related to the formation of electrode jets in discharges in hydrogen and air at a current of 10⁵–10⁶ A, a current growth rate of 10¹⁰ A/s, an initial pressure of 0.1–4.0 MPa, and a discharge gap length of 5–40 mm. After secondary breakdown, jets are observed in a semitransparent discharge channel expanding with a velocity of (4–7)×10² m/s. The formation of shock waves in the interaction of the jets with the ambient gas and the opposite electrode is observed by the shadowgraphy method. Seventy microseconds after the beginning of the discharge, the pressure of the metal vapor plasma near the end of the tungsten cathode amounts to 177 MPa. The brightness temperature in this case is T=59×10³ K, the average ion charge number is [`(m)] = 3.1\overline m = 3.1 , and the metal vapor density is n=5.3×10<sup>19</sup> cm<sup>−3</sup>. After 90 μs, the average ion charge number and the metal vapor density near the anode end are [`(m)] = 2.6\overline m = 2.6 and n=7.4×10¹⁹ cm⁻³, respectively. Based on the experimental data, possible reasons for the abnormally high values of the total voltage drop near the electrodes (up to ∼1 kV) are discussed.     

Improvement of the efficiency of a glow discharge-based ion emitter with oscillating electrons

Ion emission from the plasma of a low-pressure (≈5×10⁻² Pa) glow discharge with electrons oscillating in a weak (≈1 mT) magnetic field is studied in relation to the cold hollow cathode geometry. A hollow conic cathode used in the electrode system of a cylindrical inverted magnetron not only improves the extraction of plasma ions to ≈20% of the discharge current but also provides the near-uniform spatial distribution of the ion emission current density. The reason is the specific oscillations of electrons accelerated in the cathode sheath. They drift in the azimuth direction along a closed orbit and simultaneously move along the magnetic field toward the emitting surface of the plasma. A plasma emitter with a current density of ≈1 mA/cm² over an area of ≈100 cm² designed for an ion source with an operating voltage of several tens of kilovolts is described.     

Boltzmann Equation Analysis of the Electron Gas in CF4 Discharge Plasma

The electron energy distribution function in CF₄ gas discharge was numerically calculated for density reduced electric field E/N = 15 - 300 × 10^?17 Vcm² using the Boltzmann kinetic equation. The momentum transfer and vibrational cross-sections were derived from available experimental swarm parameters while the cross-sections for inelastic electron-molecule collisional processes included were taken from the literature. The two-term spherical harmonic expansion of the distribution function was used in the calculations.