Electron Temperature Dependence of the Dissociative Recombination Coefficient of Molecular Argon Ions Ar+2 with Electrons

A dual mode (TM₀₁₀ cylindrical cavity/cylindrical waveguide) microwave apparatus is used to study the ion mobility and dissociative recombination of molecular argon ions with electrons in the afterglow period of a d.c. glow discharge as a function of electron temperature when electrons were heated by microwaves up to T_e ≤ 10300K, with T₊ = T_gas = 300K. The electron temperature dependence of the total rate coefficient of dissociative recombination may be represented by α (Ar⁺₂) = (8.1 ± 0.5) × 10^–7[300/T_e(inK)]^0.64cm³s^–1 which is in very good agreement with most previous experimental results but not with the recent theoretical calculations (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Electron Temperature Measurement in a Premixed Flat Flame Using the Double Probe Method

The electron temperatures T_e were measured using a double probe in a premixed methane flame produced by a calibration burner according to Hartung et al. The experiment was performed at atmospheric pressure. In contrast to other authors, we have managed to find typical nonlinearities corresponding to the retarding electron current region and to calculate electron temperatures using a suitable fit on the basis of the measured characteristics. A Pt‐Rh thermocouple was used to measure temperatures T_h corresponding to “heavy” species. Our results indicate that the flame plasma can be considered to be weakly non‐isothermic — T_e = (2400–4000) K, T_h = (1400–1600) K. On the basis of measurement of the saturated ion current, the number density of the charged particles was estimated at (0.3–3.8) · 10¹⁷ m^‐3. The trends in T_e and T_h in dependence on the positions of the probes and thermocouple in the flame differ substantially; this fact has not yet been explained (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Electron cooling in three‐dimensional Dirac fermion systems at low temperature: Effect of screening

Hot electron cooling rate P, due to acoustic phonons, is investigated in three‐dimensional Dirac fermion systems at low temperature taking account of the screening of electron–acoustic phonon interaction. P is studied as a function of electron temperature T_e and electron concentration n_e. Screening is found to suppress P very significantly for about T_e < 0.5 K and its effect reduces considerably for about T_e > 1 K in Cd₃As₂. In Bloch–Grüneisen (BG) regime, for screened (unscreened) case the T_e dependence is P ～ T_e⁹(T_e⁵) and the n_e dependence gives P ～ n_e^–5/3 (n_e^–1/3). The T_e dependence is characteristic of 3D phonons and n_e dependence is characteristics of 3D Dirac fermions. The plot of P /T_e⁴ vs. T_e shows a maximum at temperature T_em which shifts to higher values for larger n_e. Interestingly, the maximum is nearly same for different n_e and T_em/n_e^1/3 being nearly constant. More importantly, we propose, the n_e dependent measurements of P would provide a clearer signature to identify 3D Dirac semimetal phase. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Double‐probe measurement in recombining plasma using NAGDIS‐II

We have studied the validity of the double‐probe method in recombining plasmas. Electron temperature (T_e) measured with a double probe was quantitatively evaluated by taking into account the influences of plasma potential fluctuation, plasma resistivity, and electron density fluctuation on the current–voltage characteristics. Differential potential fluctuation and plasma resistivity between two electrodes have a minor effect on T_e especially when the inter‐distance is small (typically 1 mm). Scattering of measured T_e due to the density fluctuation was sufficiently suppressed by making the data acquisition time long (typically 4 s) and taking the average. There is a good agreement between T_e measured with the optimized double‐probe method and that with laser Thomson scattering diagnostics.     

Atomic Model Calculations of Gain Saturation in the 46.9 nm Line of Ne‐like Ar

The gain saturation in the 46.9 nm line of the Ar⁺⁸ laser is analyzed using an atomic kinetics code. The dependence of the gain (G) on the electron kinetic temperature (T_e) in the region (50 ‐150 eV) is calculated in the quasi steady‐state approximation for the different values of the electron density (N_e) and the plasma radius (r_pl). The influence of radiat on trapping, ion random and mean velocities, Stark line broadening and refraction losses on the gain saturation is taken into consideration. For r_pl = 150‐600 μm, the amplplication (G > 0 cm^‐1) exists in the large temperature/density domain (T_e = 60‐150 eV, N_e = 0.5‐10 × 10¹⁸ cm^‐3). However, the value G_s ∼ 1.4 cm^‐1 required for the gain saturation at the typical plasma length L_pl ∼ 15 cm is reached in the extremely narrow density regions at the high temperatures. The saturation is reached for r_pl = 600 μm at T^s_e = 150 eV in the region N^s_e = 1.8‐2 × 10¹⁸ cm ^‐3, for r_pl = 300 μm at T^s_e = 125 eV and N^s_e = 2.5‐3 × 10¹⁸ cm^‐3, and for r_pl = 150 μm at T^s_e = 110 eV and N^s_e = 3‐4 × 10¹⁸ cm^‐3. The broadest density region (N^s_e = 2 ‐8 × 10¹⁸ cm^‐3) is predicted for the narrowest column (r_pl = 150 μm) at the highest temperature (T^s_e = 150 eV). The operation in the broadest density region N^s_e, should make easier achievement of the gain saturation in the experiments.     

Measurement of C2 and CH temperatures in argon‐acetylene low‐pressure microwave‐induced plasma

The emission spectra of C₂(d³Π_g–a³Π_u), CH(A²Δ–X²Π), and CH(B²Σ–X²Π) bands are analysed to measure rotational T_rot, vibrational T_vib, and gas temperature T_g from Ar/C₂H₂ (5–20% C₂H₂) microwave‐induced plasma (MIP). In case when helium and hydrogen are used in the gas mixture instead of argon, no significant change in T_rot is noticed. Both studied temperatures are insensitive in terms of the C₂H₂ percentage. From CH(0–0, A²Δ–X²Π) band R₂ branch lines, two T_rot (T_rot ～ 520–580 K for J′ = 3–9 and T_rot ～ 1,700–1,800 K for J′ = 10–17) are determined. The lower T_rot equals the T_g (500–700 K) measured from C₂ bands in this study. The H₂ Fulcher‐α diagonal bands are recorded as well in the H₂/C₂H₂ mixtures and T_rot～750–900 K of the H₂ ground state measured. T_vib ～ 6,000 K in Ar/C₂H₂ MIP is calculated from the integral intensity ratio of C₂(2,1) and C₂(3,2) bands.     

Appearance of a Hα Minimumat the Onset of Net Recombination in Hydrogen Plasmas

Hydrogen plasmas out of ionization equilibrium are either ionizing or recombining depending on the electron temperature T_e . Within the transition region between these two opposite states a minimum of the H_α emission is often experimentally observed. Simple cases were previously analyzed which could be interpreted assuming only a temperature variation, i.e the electron density was constant in the transition region. Here we discuss two examples in which both the density and the temperature vary at the transition. In the linear plasma generator PSI‐II a hydrogen plasma is cooled down by puffing additional gas. We find a minimum at T_min ≈ 1.1 eV. A second example is the effect of an ELM(edge localized mode) pulse propagating through a recombining divertor plasma in the tokamak ASDEX Upgrade. The H_α response shows a double peak which can be interpreted as a local minimum assuming a simultaneous rise of density and temperature during an ELM. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

纳秒激光诱导紫铜黄铜等离子体特征参数的对比研究

基于1064 nm Nd:YAG激光器,对比研究了紫铜和黄铜等离子的特征参数。洛仑兹函数拟合Cu I 324.75 nm得到紫铜和黄铜等离子体的电子密度分别是3.61017 cm-3和3.31017 cm-3。为了减小谱线自发辐射跃迁几率不确定性和测量误差带来的计算误差,采用改进型迭代玻耳兹曼算法精确求解紫铜等离子体和黄铜等离子体的电子温度分别是6316 K和6051 K,分析表明,两种等离子体特征参数的差异主要是由于黄铜中的锌元素的电离能（9.39 eV）大于铜元素的电离能（7.72 eV）而造成的。实验数据证实激光诱导的紫铜和黄铜等离子体满足局部热力学平衡模型和光学薄模型。     

双温度氦等离子体输运性质计算

获得覆盖较宽温度和压力范围内的等离子体输运性质是进行等离子体传热和流动过程数值模拟的必要条件.本文采用Saha方程计算等离子体组分, 采用基于将Chapman-Enskog方法扩展到高阶近似的方法, 计算获得了电子温度(T_e)不等于重粒子温度(T_h)的情形下, 在300 K到40000 K的温度范围内氦等离子体的黏性、热导率和电导率. 研究结果表明压力和热力学非平衡参数(θ =T_e/T_h)对氦等离子体的输运性质有较大的影响. 在局域热力学平衡条件下,计算获得的氦等离子体输运性质和文献报道的数据符合良好.     

The Influence of Collisions in the Space Charge Sheath on the Ion current Collected by a Langmuir Probe

The current/voltage characteristics of a cylindrical Langmuir probe have been studied in Ar⁺/electron afterglow plasmas in helium carrier gas under truly thermal conditions at 300 K using our flowing afterglow/Langmuir probe (FALP) apparatus. The orbital motion limited (oml) ion and electron current regions of the probe characteristics have been explored over a wide range of the reduced probe voltage (up to ～ 100) and over a wide range of electron (n_e) and ion (n₊) number densities (1.6 × 10⁷ to 1.5 × 10¹⁰ cm^?3) at a constant pressure of the He carrier gas of 1.2 Torr. The observed increase of the probe ion currents above those predicted by collisionless oml theory, resulting in an apparent increase of the measured ion number density above n_e in the plasma, is explained by the enhancement in the ion current collection efficiency due to collisions of ions with neutral gas atoms in the space charge sheath surrounding the probe. The continuous change in the exponent, χ, of the power-law dependence,i₊ ∞ V of the ion current, i₊, on the probe voltage, V_p from 0.5 at the highest n₊ (smallest sheath) towards 1.0 at the lowest n₊ (large sheath) indicates that the ion current collection from the plasma changes from the oml current regime at the high n₊ to the continuum regime at the low n₊ when the ions undergo multiple collisions with the helium atoms in the space charge sheath and thus “drift” towards the probe.     

Hot-wire measurements of the electron thermal conductivity in a potassium plasma

The electron thermal conductivity λ_e of a potassium plasma is found by measuring the electron heat flux in a hot-wire device placed in a magnetic field. In the range 2300–3000 K, λ_e (W/mK) = 0.906 X 10¹⁰ T^-2_e exp(-3.2 X 10⁴/T_e) at a plasma pressure of 800 Pa and a gas temperature T_a = T_e/1.3.     

Effect of atmospheric pressure pulsed discharge spatial inhomogeneity on Ar I and H I lines: Electron number density study

The spatial inhomogeneity of pulsed atmospheric pressure discharge in argon is investigated using the electron number density N_e diagnostics procedure applied to asymmetrically broadened Ar I lines. A dedicated fitting procedure is used for describing Ar I 703.0 nm line shape recorded from argon gas discharge and H I (at 486.13 and 656.28 nm) lines recorded from Ar-H₂ gas mixture discharge. The results revealed the change in N_e in both axial and radial directions. The additional Ar I lines at 614.5, 710.7, 731.2, and 731.6 nm, recorded from integral spatial radiation, are analysed as well to confirm the results from the plasma column region. The possibility of using AlO (B²∑⁺–X²∑⁺) and CN (B²∑⁺–X²∑⁺) molecular bands for gas temperature T_g measurements in this type of gas discharge source is demonstrated and T_g used as an input parameter for the N_e diagnostics procedure. For the proper identification of molecular band spectral lines, the Fortrat parabolas are constructed. The results obtained from Ar I 703.0 nm line indicate three different N_e values, with N_e1 ≈ 0.6 × 10¹⁶ cm⁻³, N_e2 ≈ 3.6 × 10¹⁶ cm⁻³, and N_e3 ≈ 19 × 10¹⁶ cm⁻³ measured from the plasma column. These N_e values increase in the cathode and anode region.     

Diagnostics of Tin Plasma Produced by Visible and IR Nanosecond Laser Ablation

We present the optical emission spectroscopic studies of the Tin (Sn) plasma, produced by the fundamental (1064 nm) and second (532 nm) harmonics of a Q switched Nd: YAG pulsed laser having pulse duration of 5 ns and 10 Hz repetition rate which is capable of delivering 400 mJ at 1064 nm, and 200 mJ at 532 nm using Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). The laser beam was focused on target material by placing it in air at atmospheric pressure. The experimentally observed line profiles of four neutral tin (Sn I) lines at 231.72, 248.34, 257.15 and 266.12 nm were used to extract the electron temperature (T_e) using the Boltzmann plot method and determined its value 6360 and 5970 K respectively for fundamental and second harmonics of the laser. Whereas, the electron number density (N_e) has been determined from the Stark broadening profile of neutral tin (Sn I) line at 286.33 nm and determined its value 5.85 x 10¹⁶ and 6.80 x 10¹⁶cm^–3 for fundamental and second harmonics of the laser respectively. Both plasma parameters (T_e and N_e) have also been calculated by varying distance from the target surface along the line of propagation of plasma plume and also by varying the laser irradiance. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Determination of the Concentration of Electrons in the Laser Plasma of Helium

The dependence of the Stark width of the spectral line of He II P 468.6 nm on the electron concentration in the laser plasma of helium for the range of electron densities N _e = (1–10)·10²³ m^–3 and electron temperatures of the order of 60 kK has been measured. The results obtained correspond well to Griem's theoretical data. An empirical relation is suggested which makes it possible to reliably determine the electron concentration from measured halfwidths in the investigated range of N _e.     

Floating double probe in non‐Maxwellian plasmas: Determination of the electron density and mean electron energy

A theoretical study of the floating double probe based on the Druyvesteyn theory is developed in the case of non‐Maxwellian electron energy distribution functions (EEDFs). It is used to calculate the EEDF in the electron energy range larger than –e(V_f ? V_p) from the I–V double probe characteristics. V_f and V_p are the floating and plasma potential, respectively. The analytical distribution function corresponding to the best fit of EEDF in the energy range larger than e(V_f ? V_p) allows the determination of the total electron density (n_e) and the mean electron energy (<?_e>). The method is detailed and tested in the case of a theoretical Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution function. It is applied for experiments that are performed in expanding microwave plasmas sustained in argon. Analytical EEDFs determined by this method are compared with those measured by means of single probes under the same experimental conditions. A good agreement is observed between single and double probe measurements. Results obtained under different experimental conditions are used to define the best conditions to obtain reliable results by means of the double probe technique.     

Spectroscopic studies of the sulphur afterglow

The afterglow emission spectrum of sulphur and argon mixture is found to consist of (a) the main band system of S₂(B³Σ^-_u?X³Σ^-_g) in the region 3200–6600 Å and (b) the atomic spectrum of argon in the 7500–9000 Å region. Although B?X bands of S₂ obtained by ordinary excitation extends from 2829 to 7100 Å, the lower wavelength limit of these bands from the afterglow is only 3200Å. It is proposed that the S₂ molecules are formed in the B³Σ^-_u state through inverse predissociation when two S atoms approach each other along the potential curve of the predissociating electronic state 1_u.     

Materials parameters and ion-induced track formation

ABSTRACT

The role of various materials parameters in track formation is discussed. Experimental information is utilized showing a direct quantitative relationship in different solids between the melting points T_m and the ion-induced track radii R_e without involving other materials parameters. It is shown for Θ?=?T_m???T_ir (T_ir – irradiation temperature) that Θ～exp{?R_e²/w²} for S_e/N?=?constant, where S_e and N are the electronic stopping power and the number density of atoms and w?=?4.5?nm. The validity of this universal-type relation is demonstrated for 14 different insulators including LiNbO₃ and BaFe₁₂O₁₉. It is shown that the thermal diffusivity D, the heat of fusion L the band gap energy E_g and the absorption radius α_e of the electron distribution must not affect the track sizes as this would not be coherent with this identical behavior. Original reports on LiNbO₃ and BaFe₁₂O₁₉ with opposite conclusions are critically analyzed. It is shown that an arbitrary value of the ion energy was used in the analysis that modified substantially the results leading to an undue justification of the contribution of L and E_g in apparent agreement with the experimental data.     

DC Townsend Discharge in Nitrogen: Temperature‐Dependent Phenomena

Low‐current Townsend discharge in nitrogen has been studied in the temperature range of T = 100–300 K in a semiconductor‐gas‐discharge structure. It was found that the sustaining voltage U_S increases with time when a current is passed through the structure at low T. This effect was not observed at room temperature. A hypothesis is put forward that a film of a neutral phase of nitrogen is formed on the electrodes under cryogenic discharge conditions. The presence of the condensed thin‐film phase leads to a decrease in the secondary electron emission from the electrode and to a corresponding increase in U_S. A possible mechanism of the phenomenon is associated with the formation of large neutral aggregates in the form of [N⁺₂(N₂)_n]^– in the gas discharge volume. The condensation of these aggregates seems to yield a phase that is comparatively stable at cryogenic temperatures (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Electron spin resonance and quantum critical phenomena in VOx multiwall nanotubes

Basing on the high frequency (60 GHz) electron spin resonance study of the VO_x multiwall nanotubes (VO_x ‐NTs) carried out in the temperature range 4.2–200 K we report: (i) the first direct experimental evidence of the presence of the antiferromagnetic dimers in VO_x ‐NTs and (ii) the observation of an anomalous low temperature growth of the magnetic susceptibility for quasi‐free spins, which obey the power law χ (T)～1/T ^α with the exponent α ≈ 0.6 in a wide temperature range 4.2–50 K. We argue that the observed departures from the Curie–Weiss behaviour manifest the onset of the quantum critical regime and formation of the Griffiths phase as a magnetic ground state of these spin species. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The spectra and structure of indium iodide: The rotational and vibrational constants of the A0 state

The rotational constants of the A0⁺ state of InI are reported for the first time as B_e = 0.038077 cm⁻¹ and α_e = 0.0002373 cm⁻¹, while T_e = 24402.91 cm⁻¹ for the A0⁺-X0⁺ transition. Accurate vibrational constants for both the A0⁺ and X0⁺ states are computed from the derived band origins.