Emission properties of a pulsed-periodic barrier discharge initiated in helium-iodine and argon-iodine mixtures

The subject of investigation is the emission properties of a pulsed-periodic barrier discharge initiated by submicrosecond pulses (f = 40–1000 Hz) in He-I₂ and Ar-I₂ mixtures. The investigation is carried out in the spectral range 200–400 nm at a pressure of the working medium of 1–100 kPa and an iodine partial pressure of 130–200 Pa. The dependence of UV emission from the plasma of the barrier discharge at the 342 nm I₂(D′ → A′) band and the iodine atom spectral line at 206.2 nm on the argon and helium partial pressures, excitation pulses repetition rate, and charging voltage of the capacitor of a short high-voltage pulse modulator is optimized. The contribution of the 206.2 nm I* spectral line to the UV emission of the barrier discharge is estimated.     

Features of particle excitation in high-frequency capacitive discharge

The efficiencies of excitation of different atomic and molecular levels of a gaseous medium by a low-current high-frequency capacitive discharge (HFCD) and a dc discharge are compared theoretically. It is shown that for transitions between lower vibrational levels of molecules an increase in spectral line intensity by a factor of 1.2–1.6 is observed, and for neon transitions from high-lying levels, by a factor of 1.5–3.0. The stability of low-current HFCD is experimentally investigated for different configurations of gas-discharge gaps. The results of these investigations are used in developing compact planar and coaxial HFCD lasers. B. I. Spepanov Institute of Physics, Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 70, F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220071. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 64, No. 3, pp. 291–296, May–June, 1997.     

VUV lamp based on mixtures of inert gases with water molecules pumped by a pulsed-periodic capacitive discharge

The spectral characteristics of the emission in the 140-315 nm range from pulsed-periodic capacitive discharges in mixtures of water vapor and helium and argon are described. In the VUV the most intense bands have maxima at λ = 156.0, 180.3, and 186.0 nm, and in the region of 300–315 nm, at λ = 312.1 and 313.4 nm. The brightness of the emission from the capacitive discharge plasma is optimized with respect to the partial pressures of helium, argon, and water vapor. The electron kinetic coefficients of discharges in argon and water vapor mixtures are calculated for E/N = 1–1000 Td.     

Output characteristics and parameters of the plasma from a gas-discharge low-pressure ultraviolet source using helium-iodine and xenon-iodine mixtures

The output characteristics and parameters of the plasma of a powerful gas-discharge source of UV radiation are studied. The UV source uses He-I₂ and Xe-I₂ mixtures and is excited by a longitudinal glow discharge. The pressure of the gas mixtures is varied from 100 to 1500 Pa, and the discharge power falls into the range 15–250 W. The source (lamp) emits in the spectral interval 200–390 nm, which covers the spectral line of the iodine atom at 206.2 nm, the spectral band of XeI(B-X) with a maximum at 253 nm, and the spectral band of with a maximum at 342 nm. For He(Xe)-I₂ mixtures at a pressure of 800–1000 Pa (this pressure range is near-optimal according to our experimental data), the electron energy distribution functions and the electron kinetic coefficients as functions of parameter E/N (E is the electric field strength, and N is the particle concentration in the discharge) are calculated. The calculated plasma parameters are used in the qualitative analysis of key electronic processes in the plasma of an exciplex halogen UV source and will be subsequently employed in numerical simulation of the process kinetics and output characteristics of a UV source based on helium-iodine or xenon-iodine mixtures.     

Generation of VUV radiation in Lyman and Werner bands of pulsed space discharge in hydrogen mixtures with helium

A self-consistent numerical model for the self-sustained high-current pulsed discharge is constructed based on the solution of the equations of the population of H₂ electronic and vibrational states. The model accounts for electronic, ion-molecular, and vibrational kinetics, electron attachment to and detachment from the H₂ molecule, Lyman and Werner band emission, and their radiation trapping. The equations of electron-vibrational kinetics are solved simultaneously with the Boltzmann equation for the electron energy distribution function and the external electrical circuit equations.     

Evolution of discharge structure in capacitive radio-frequency atmospheric microplasmas

Conventional radio-frequency (rf) nonthermal atmospheric plasmas are generated in a millimeter gap. In this Letter, we present a self-consistent numerical study of rf atmospheric microplasmas in a submillimeter gap comparable to their sheath thickness. It is shown that the narrow electrode gap deforms the discharge structure, ultimately removing the bulk-plasma region and disabling electron trapping. Significantly, these properties permit rf atmospheric microplasmas to operate at very high current densities thus simultaneously achieving higher stability and greater chemical reactivity.     

Reactor modeling of magnetically enhanced capacitive RF discharge

Magnetic and collisional effects on capacitive radio frequency (RF) discharges for magnetically enhanced reactive ion etching (MERIE) are investigated. Using simplified plasma and sheath models, a collisional magnetic-sheath equation that governs the sheath dynamics under a de magnetic field crossed with a sinusoidal RF electric field is obtained. The sheath equation includes global effects of the bulk plasma. Together with the power-balance equation and the particle-conservation equation, the sheath equation is used to extract a circuit model and predict the electrical behavior of MERIE reactors. Numerical results on the plasma density and the power in MERIE reactors agree well with reported experimental results and the circuit model describes the repeated discharge properties well     

Experiments with pulsed high-voltage discharge in the atmosphere

The characteristics of a spark atmosphere discharge initiated at an interelectrode voltage U=500 kV and a discharge initiated with a thermally bursting wire are studied.     

脉冲气体放电管特性测量实验

用TDS210型存贮示波器测量了脉冲气体放电管(闪光灯)的放电特性，同时用PIN型硅光电池测量脉冲光的波形，测量了它们之间的延迟，并计算了脉冲气体放电管的动态电阻，讨论了放电过程从触发到结束的物理图象．     

High and low frequency relaxation oscillations in a capacitive discharge plasma

Both high and low frequency relaxation oscillations have been observed in an argon capacitive discharge connected to a peripheral grounded chamber through a slot with dielectric spacers. The oscillations, observed from time-varying optical emission of the main discharge chamber, show, for example, a high frequency （46 kHz） relaxation oscillation at 100 mTorr, with an absorbed power near the peripheral breakdown, and a low frequency （2.7-3.7 Hz） oscillation, at a higher absorbed power. The high frequency oscillation is found to ignite a plasma in the slot, but usually not in the periphery. The high frequency oscillation is interpreted by using an electromagnetic model of the slot impedance, combined with the circuit analysis of the system including a matching network. The model is further developed by using a parallel connection of variable peripheral capacitance to analyse the low frequency oscillation. The results obtained from the model are in agreement with the experimental observations and indicate that a variety of behaviours are dependent on the matching conditions.     

Effects of discharge cloud interaction on the structure and spectrum of a pulsed discharge

Two supersonic jets interact to produce a dense plasma, which has marked effects on the structure and spectrum. Flow from the dense region produces marked radial inhomogeneity. The emission spectrum of the dense zone consists of a strong continuum together with asymmetrically broadened lines of the elements present in the electrodes.I am indebted to L. I. Kiselevskii for direction in this work.     

Analysis of macroparticle charging in the near-electrode layer of a high-frequency capacitive discharge

Spatial variation of dust particle charges are estimated numerically for typical laboratory experiment conditions in a radio-frequency (rf) capacitive discharge. The surface potentials of macroparticles levitating in the upper part of the near-electrode layer of the rf discharge are measured. A model is proposed for the formation of irregular dust oscillations due to stochastic motion of dust in the bulk of a spatially inhomogeneous plasma (in the presence of a dust charge gradient). This mechanism is used for analyzing the results of measurements of the amplitude of vertical vibrations of dust particles in the near-electrode layer of the rf discharge. It is found that the dust charge gradient may be responsible for the development of such vibrations.     

Chemical processes in the single-electrode pulsed HF discharge plasma

It is shown that in the discharge plasma of the atomic emission spectrometer, the formation of CN molecules from CO₂ and N₂ takes place. The correctness of measuring the CO₂ concentration from the emission intensity of CN at a wavelength of 388.3 nm in respiratory processes is proved experimentally.     

Stochastic electron heating in a capacitive RF discharge withnon-Maxwellian and time-varying distributions

In capacitively coupled radio frequency discharges, the electrons gain and lose energy by reflection from oscillating, high voltage sheaths. When time-averaged, this results in stochastic heating, which at low pressure is responsible for most of the electron heating in these discharges. Previous derivations of stochastic heating rates have generally assumed that the electron distribution is a time-invariant, single-temperature Maxwellian, and that the sheath motion is slow compared to the average electron velocity, so that electrons gain or lose a small amount of energy in each sheath reflection. Here we solve for the stochastic heating rates in the opposite limit of fast sheath motion and consider the applicability of the slow and fast sheath equations in the intermediate region. We also consider the effect of a two-temperature Maxwellian distribution on particle balance and the effect of a time-varying temperature on the heating rates and densities     

Emission characteristics of a pulsed discharge in xenon

Emission characteristics of a high-current pulsed discharge in xenon are studied experimentally. The study is aimed at developing a source of spontaneous UV radiation (with λ ≤ 250 nm) for controlling highvoltage crystalline diamond switches.     

Dynamics of electron-cascade formation in a pulsed discharge

The dynamics of the velocity distribution function of the electrons in a pulsed discharge is analyzed, taking account of the initial stage of electron heating within the framework of the BGK model integral. It is assumed that the basic contribution to the relaxation of the electron distribution function comes from elastic collisions with neutral particles. The dynamic distribution function obtained is used to determine the ionization coefficient and study the dynamics of electron-cascade development.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 5, pp. 70–75, May, 1984.In conclusion, Prof. V. B. Krasovitskit must be thanked for fruitful discussion and constant interest in the work.