Experimental Investigations of Discharge Characteristics and Plasma Parameters of a Cylindrical Cathode Discharge in a Magnetic Field. II. Plasma Parameters

The experimental determination of the main plasma parameters (i.e. plasma potential, plasma density, electron temperature, intensity of plasma radiation) in the negative glow of a cylindrical cathode discharge in magnetic field is presented. The influence of electrode configuration, gas pressure, discharge current and magnetic field on plasma parameters and their radial distribution is analysed.     

Simulation of radio-frequency atmospheric pressure glow discharge in γ mode

The existence of two diffe1：ent discharge modes has been verified in an rf （radio-frequency） atmospheric pressure glow discharge （APGD） by Shi [J. Appl. Phys. 97, 023306 （2005）]. In the first mode, referred to as a mode, the discharge current density is relatively low and the bulk plasma electrons acquire the energy due to the sheath expansion. In the second mode, termed γ mode, the discharge current density is relatively high, the secondary electrons emitted by cathodc under ion bombardment in the cathode sheath region play an important role in sustaining the discharge. In this paper, a one-dimensional self-consistent fluid model for rf APGDs is used to simulate the discharge mechanisms in the mode in helium discharge between two parallel metallic planar electrodes. The results show that as the applied voltage increases, the discharge current becomes greater and the plasma density correspondingly increases, consequentially the discharge transits from the a mode into the γ mode. The high collisionality of the APGD plasma results in significant drop of discharge potential across the sheath region, and the electron Joule heating and the electron collisional energy loss reach their maxima in the region. The validity of the simulation is checked with the available experimental and numerical data.     

Intense emission from a grid-stabilized plasma cathode

Intense emission from a grid-stabilized plasma cathode based on a glow discharge with an expanded anode area is studied. In the electrode system of the ion source, the potential difference between a large-mesh grid electrode (a hole diameter of 4–6 mm) and cathode and anode plasma reaches 200 V and the glow discharge current is up to 1 A. The current distribution over the electrodes of the plasma cathode is taken, and the dependences of the electron extraction efficiency and electron-emitting-plasma potential on the gas pressure and discharge parameters are obtained. A relationship between the geometric parameters of the grid, cathode plasma potential, and efficiency of electron extraction from the plasma is derived. It is shown that stable intense emission from the plasma cathode can be provided in wide ranges of gas pressure and discharge current by varying the geometry and mesh size of the plasma cathode grid. Discharge contraction in the grid plane at elevated gas pressures is explained. It is assumed that the emitting plasma becomes inhomogeneous due to variation in the thickness of near-electrode layers in the holes of the grid, which makes the distribution of the emission current from the plasma more nonuniform.     

Effect of cold electron emission on diffusion plasma parameters and the sheath structure in a double plasma device

It is observed experimentally that by injecting cold electrons in the discharge region of a double plasma device, the plasma parameters and sheath structure can be controlled in the other region, which is devoid of any electrical discharge. The main discharge region is separated from the region under investigation by a grounded mesh grid. Both cold and hot ionizing electrons are emitted from separate sets of filaments in the discharge region. With an increase in the cold electron emission current, the plasma parameters in the discharge region get changed, which in turn alter the plasma parameters in the other region. Two important effects caused by cold electrons in the diffusion region are the increase in the plasma density and decrease in the plasma potential. The increase in the plasma density and decrease in the sheath potential drop therefore cause the contraction of the sheath.     

同轴枪正、负脉冲放电等离子体特性的对比

同轴枪脉冲放电产生的等离子体具有高速度、高密度的特点,在核聚变、空间推进、天体物理领域具有很高的应用价值.本文针对不同放电方式对等离子体特性的影响进行了理论实验研究,通过调换脉冲电源整流二极管的方向改变充电电流方向实现正、负脉冲放电,采用光学、电学、磁探针等诊断手段,研究了正、负脉冲放电产生的等离子体性能;通过高速相机观察到正脉冲等离子体的分团现象,使用了图像处理技术,量化对比了等离子体发光强度.结果表明在相同工作气压和放电电压下,负脉冲等离子体拥有更高的密度,流速稍小但性能趋稳;而正脉冲等离子体具有更高的射流速度,也易产生明显的分团现象,所得实验结果与理论分析相一致.     

Nonself-sustained arc discharge in anode material vapors

The basic characteristics of the nonself-sustained arc discharge in a vapor of the anode material are studied. The influence of thermoemission parameters of the cathode on volt-ampere characteristics of the discharge is described. It is established that in a free mode of the discharge cathode operation, when the discharge current I_D is lower than the current of the thermoelectron emission from the discharge cathode I_C, the deposition rate of the films q is directly proportional to the discharge current I_D. In the compelled mode of the cathode operation, when I_D>I _C, q~W_D², where W_D=I_D U_D with U_D being the discharge voltage. It is shown that the magnetic field increases the plasma density and changes the density profile from n(x)-1/x² to n(x)-1/x with x being a distance along the flow. The motion of created plasma flow is shown to have a noncollisional character with constant electron temperature of 5-7 eV along the flow. The values of plasma potential and electric field in the flow are determined; the values of cathodic and anodic potential drops in the discharge are evaluated. The angular distributions of ion and neutral fluxes in the created plasma flow are described. It is shown that the plasma flows parameters depend substantially on the working material. With use of crossed electric and magnetic fields, the flow ionization coefficient was enhanced up to 85% for the discharge in Ti vapors, and 35% for the discharge in Cu vapors     

Experimental Analysis of a Low Frequency Instability in a Magnetized Discharge Plasma

In the paper we present the results of an investigation of a low frequency (30-100 kHz) instability in a weakly magnetized discharge plasma. The instability is triggered by a disc electrode which terminates the magnetized plasma column and is biased above the plasma potential. Frequency dependence on various parameters, e.g. electrode diameter, electrode bias, neutral gas pressure and plasma density is measured. Space and time dependence of the plasma potential and density in the perturbed region during one period of the electrode current oscillation are measured. During the phase of the current decrease a potential structure moves in axial direction from the edge of the perturbed region towards the electrode. During the phase of current saturation the motion of ions is mostly radial. The observed phenomenon is approximately modeled as a two dimensional potential relaxation instability (PRI).     

Radial distribution of plasma density in the positive column of thehigh-current stationary glow discharge

A model is presented which describes the radial distributions of the plasma density, electric potential, current density, and magnetic field in the positive column of a stationary glow discharge not in contact with the longitudinal walls of the discharge chamber. In this model, the compression of the positive column is provided by the azimuthal magnetic field created by the discharge current. The value of, the discharge current is obtained for the case where charged-particle diffusion is balanced by the actions of the radial electric field and the magnetic pinch effect. The radial distributions of plasma parameters are also calculated for the case of high-current glow discharges where charged-particle diffusion can be ignored     

Micro-pinch formation and extreme ultraviolet emission of laser-induced discharge plasma

Extreme ultraviolet(EUV) source produced by laser-induced discharge plasma(LDP) is a potential technical means in inspection and metrology. A pulsed Nd:YAG laser is focused on a tin plate to produce an initial plasma thereby triggering a discharge between high-voltage electrodes in a vacuum system. The process of micro-pinch formation during the current rising is recorded by a time-resolved intensified charge couple device camera. The evolution of electron temperature and density of LDP are obtained by optical emission spectrometry. An extreme ultraviolet spectrometer is built up to investigate the EUV spectrum of Sn LDP at 13.5 nm. The laser and discharge parameters such as laser energy, voltage, gap distance,and anode shape can influence the EUV emission.     

Hysteresis and Transition to Chaos in a Thermionic Plasma Discharge

We report a period-doubling route to chaos in a modulated unmagnetized low pressure thermionic argon discharge. The bifurcation cascade has many similarities to a noisy logistic map. The non-modulated discharge shows strong hysteresis in the current voltage characteristic. Two distinct discharge states are identified by spatial plasma potential measurements and compared with the classification for higher pressures.     

Self-consistent structure of a dc discharge with a closed hall current in crossed electric and magnetic fields

A dc glow discharge with a closed Hall current in crossed electric and magnetic fields in helium is investigated. It is shown that the main features of an unmagnetized dc discharge [1] (such as the separation of the discharge into a space charge sheath and a quasineutral plasma, the formation of a cathode fall region and a negative glow, the appearance of a region with a reversed electric field producing a potential well for low-energy electrons and resulting in the formation of a Faraday dark space, and the formation of three pronounced groups of electrons in the electron distribution function) are also retained in a discharge in crossed fields. It is found that the sheath length is almost independent of the magnetic field, while the length of the negative glow region decreases appreciably with increasing magnetic field. The measured electron distribution function agrees well with the nonlocal theory, according to which the current in the Faraday dark space is carried by the intermediate electrons that are not trapped in the potential well and the energies of which are lower than the first excitation energy.     

Spatial Characteristics of the Beam Plasma Discharge in Crossed Electric and Magnetic Fields

The paper presents the results of the experimental investigation of the beam plasma discharge spatial structure in crossed fields induced by adding a high ionization potential gas to the discharge. Direct experimental evidence of the polarization mechanism of the radial current in a device with this type of discharge has been obtained.     

同轴电极结构下真空放电等离子体生成及传播特性

采用放电电流为100~300 A、持续时间为13 s的单脉冲电源,设计了两种同轴电极结构作为放电阳极,分别为筒状电极、喷嘴状电极。利用MAXWELL 3D电场仿真软件对两种电极结构下的电场分布进行了仿真分析,并采用探针法对放电生成的等离子体的参数进行了测量,分析讨论了同轴电极结构对真空放电等离子体生成特性的影响。选取喷嘴状电极结构作为阳极,分别测量了采用铅、铝、铜三种材质的阴极时生成的等离子体的扩散速度及能量。实验与仿真结果表明:当阳极为喷嘴状电极时阴极尖端的电场强度较大,测得放电电流较大,击穿电压较低,等离子体密度也较大;采用铝材质阴极时生成的等离子体扩散速度最快,采用铅材质阴极时生成的等离子体的离子动能最大。     

Interaction between glow discharge plasma and dust particles

The effect of dust particle concentration on gas discharge plasma parameters was studied through development of a self-consistent kinetic model which is based on solving the Boltzmann equation for the electron distribution function. It was shown that an increase in the Havnes parameter causes an increase in the average electric field and ion density, as well as a decrease in the charge of dust particles and electron density in a dust particle cloud. Self-consistent simulations for a wide range of plasma and dust particle parameters produced several scaling laws: these are laws for dust particle potential and electric field as a function of dust particle concentration and radius, and the discharge current density. The simulation results demonstrate that the process of self-consistent accommodation of parameters of dust particles and plasma in condition of particle concentration growth causes a growth in the number of high-energy electrons in plasma, but not to depletion of electron distribution function.     

真空脉冲放电金属等离子体生成及传播特性

研究了采用放电电流为200 A,持续时间为13 s的单脉冲放电形式,在锥-板、锥-网两种电极结构下,等离子体生成及空间传播特性并使用探针法对生成等离子体的电子密度、电子温度、空间电位、离子能量等参数进行了测量。实验和仿真结果表明;锥-网电极的起始放电电压较高,生成的等离子密度较大,沿放电电极轴方向运动的等离子体的密度最大。然而,两种不同电极结构生成的等离子体的传播速度没有明显区别。     

半导体泵浦射流型亚稳态氩激光国际首次出光北大核心CSCD

半导体泵浦亚稳态惰性原子激光是高能光泵浦气体激光领域具有潜力的新方案。已有报道均在约束的放电空间内产生亚稳态原子,功率放大受到多因素制约。为突破现有方案的局限,采用大气压等离子体射流方式在羽流区域产生高浓度亚稳态氩原子(1014 cm^(−3)量级),将放电和激光区域空间分离,利用811 nm窄线宽半导体激光器作为泵浦源,基于泵浦、激光和气流相互垂直的结构实现912 nm激光输出,有效拓展了该型激光体系的功率定标放大能力。     

放电参数对爆燃模式下同轴枪强流脉冲放电等离子体的影响

同轴枪强流脉冲放电常见有爆燃模式和预填充模式两种放电模式,爆燃模式放电可以得到杂质少、准直性高、输运速度更快的等离子体射流.本实验主要对不同电压及进气量下同轴枪强流脉冲爆燃模式放电的等离子体特性进行了研究.结果表明,在相同放电电压下,进气量少时会有多团等离子体从枪口喷出.随着进气量的增加,同轴枪放电产生的等离子体密度增加,输运速度减小,最终等离子体只有一团从枪口喷出;而在相同进气量下,随着电压的增加,等离子体密度增加,输运速度增大,开始出现有多团等离子体从枪口喷出的现象.产生该现象的原因主要是在放电过程中,当气体持续进入枪底部时,同轴枪底部会产生新的电流通道向前运动,使得在同轴枪出口处观察到了多团等离子体喷出的现象;随着放电电压的增加,在放电过程中回路电流也增加.当电流增加到一定程度时,同轴枪底部就会产生新的电流通道,从而有多个等离子体团从枪口喷出.通过改变充电电容以及对磁探针信号的分析,进一步分析并验证了同轴枪底端多次放电的现象.     

A physical model of the low-current-density vacuum arc

A one-dimensional (1-D) physical model of the low-current-density steady-state vacuum arc is proposed. The model is based on the continuity equations for ions and electrons and the energy balance for the discharge system; the electric potential distribution in the discharge gap is assumed to be nonmonotonic. It is supposed that the ion current at the cathode is generated within the cathode potential fall region due to the ionization of the evaporated atoms by the plasma thermal electrons having Boltzmann's energy distribution. The model offers a satisfactory explanation for the principal regularities of a hot-cathode vacuum arc with diffuse attachment of the current. The applicability of the model proposed to the explanation of some processes occurring in a vacuum arc, such as the flow of fast ions toward the anode, the current cutoffs and voltage bursts, and the backward motion of a cathode spot in a transverse magnetic field is discussed     

Operational characteristics of a plasma cathode with a grid stabilization in a two-stage ion source

The discharge characteristics and the parameters of the cathode plasma in a two-stage ion source with a grid plasma cathode and a magnetic trap in the anode region are investigated. It is shown that an increase in the gas pressure and the accompanying increase in the reverse ion current in the bipolar diode between the cathode and anode plasmas lead to an increase in the cathode plasma potential and a transition of the cathode into the regime of electron emission from the open plasma boundary. The dependence of the ion current extracted from the anode plasma on the area of the exit aperture of the hollow cathode and the mesh size of the grid plasma cathode is explained. The conditions at which the ion emission current from the anode plasma is maximum are determined. The potential difference at the bipolar diode is measured by using the probe method. It is shown that, when the gas pressures reaches a critical value determined by the mesh size of the grid plasma cathode, the discharge passes into a contracted operating mode, in which the ion current extracted from the anode plasma decreases severalfold.     

Electron transport properties of stationary plasma clouds generatedwith hollow cathode discharges

The electron transport properties of plasma clouds generated by a hollow cathode discharge are investigated. The voltage-current characteristic curves indicate that the electron-emitted electron current depends on both bias voltage and discharge current. The spatial dependence of the electronic density, plasma potential, and electronic temperature is measured. The energy loss rate of a high energy group of electrons with the radial distance is also presented. These experimental results are compared with a nonisothermal transport model which reproduces the spatial dependence of plasma properties