The successive production of striations in a glow discharge in hydrogen

The manner of successive production of striations moving from the cathode to the anode in a glow discharge in hydrogen is experimentally investigated. For this purpose use is made of the method of an artifically produced transient process in the positive column. It is shown that the fundamental phenomenon in the production of these striations, similarly as with an inert gas, is the wave of stratification. The wave of stratification in hydrogen, however, differs from that in the plasma of an inert gas in the direction of motion of the striations. This direction in a hydrogen discharge is the same as the direction of the successive production of striations, i. e. from cathode to anode. The phenomenological theory of the successive production of moving striations elaborated earlier is also applicable for the wave of stratification in hydrogen.     

Spherical striations in a glow discharge

The stratification of a volume glow discharge is observed experimentally. Spherically symmetric stationary striations are detected. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 66, No. 11, 679–682 (10 December 1997)     

A theory of the successive production of moving striations in the plasma of inert gases

On the basis of results already published of experiments carried out by the method of excitation of transient processes with small perturbation, a theory is elaborated on the successive production of moving striations (waves of stratification) in an inert gas. The stratification of the plasma is interpreted as the successive production of regions with an alternately positive and negative space charge, i. e. as the producti n of a characteristic macroscopic periodic polarization of the plasma. The basic assumption of the theory is the relative independence of the chain of processes in each dark or light region of the striations, so that interaction between the regions occurs as a result of the electric field of the space charge in the neighbouring region.Equations are derived expressing the chronological order of the processes leading to the production of a space charge in each individual region and the interaction of the regions. The solution of the equations leads to functions, some of which are in agreement with experimental data while others cannot be verified on the basis of the experimental material at present at our disposal and require the carrying out of new experiments.The main results contained in this paper were reported on at the Conference on the Physics of Plasma in Leipzig on October 8th, 1956.     

The influence of acoustic waves on the positive column of a glow discharge with standing striations

The influence was investigated of low-frequency standing acoustic waves on the positive column of a glow discharge in air and nitrogen in a regime in which spontaneous formation of standing striations readily occurs. Experimental information is presented proving that an acoustic wave of sufficient energy propagating along the discharge axis has a great influence on physical processes creating standing striations in a molecular gas.In conclusion the author would like to thank Prof. J. Kracík for his support and his interest in this work and Mr. P. Slovák for his assistance with the experimental work.     

Spatial period of moving striations as function of electric field strength in glow discharge

During a systematic investigation of the parameters of a moving stratification in a glow discharge in helium and neon it was found that the spatial period of the striations is a simple, unique function of the d-c (constant) component of the longitudinal electric field strengthE. It was found that this dependence is hyperbolic and that the simple relation (1) or (2) thus holds. In the relation has the significance of a potential fall between the corresponding points of two neighbouring striations and in the measured range of pressures, currents and diameters of discharge tubes it depends only on the sort of gas and type of striations.

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, , E. , , , (1) (2). (1) (2). , .

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The principal results of this work were reported at the 1st conference on electronics in Prague on April 26, 1960.     

The connection between moving and standing striations in a d.c. glow discharge in Ne

The paper describes the standing structure (standing ionization waves) in a d.c. glow discharge in Ne at low currents, and its connection with moving ionization waves. We have found three types of standing waves and have associated them with the dispersion curves established from measurements on all three types of moving waves. Thus one wavelength of standing waves is associated with each dispersion curve related to one type of moving ionization waves.     

The physical nature of the production of moving striations in a d-c discharge plasma

The physical nature of the stratification of the d-c discharge plasma is found and physically interpreted. The interpretation is based on the mathematical expression of the production of periodic structure in plasma after an aperiodic disturbance, derived from an extremely simplified system of equations. Only three basic phenomena occurring in the plasma of each d-c discharge are included: a) the dependence of the rate of ionization on the electron temperature and hence on the electric field, b) the production of space charges due to the different rates of diffusion of the electrons and ions, c) the creation of additional electric fields due to the creation of space charges. The interactions of these phenomena gives rise to a chain, expanded in time and space, which leads to the production of moving striations. In agreement with experiment this structure is developed only on the side towards the anode from the place where the equilibrium state is disturbed.

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. (9, 10) (4, ), . , , : ) , , ; ) , ; ) , . , , — — . , .

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In conclusion the authors thank J. Fousek, J. Kaczér and M. Novák for carefully reading this paper and for valuable remarks, and J. Holub for carrying out the numerical and graphical work.     

The theory of moving striations in a D-C discharge plasma II. High current approximation

The integrodifferential equation of striations, found in the preceding part [1] of this theory, is simplified for the case when the Debye lengthl _D is vanishingly small in comparison with the wave-length of the striations. It then takes the form (51b). The still non-zero space charge field then influences the motion of the charge carriers in such a way that it takes on the character of ambipolar diffusion in the axial direction. This is expressed by the first term on the right-hand side of Eq. (51b). The second and third terms describe the influence of the space charge field on the ionization rate through the changes in the electron temperature. Thus the third (integral) term causes the oscillatory behaviour of the transient process excited by a pulse disturbance, while the second term can lead to growth of the amplitude (i.e. to amplification) of the transient wave.The transient solution of Eq. (51b) is given by the formula (73). It is in full qualitative agreement with the experiment and the quantitative agreement is also sufficient. This shows that processes found to be decisive for the very nature of moving striations [11] and for their amplification [16] do determine with sufficient accuracy even other finer properties of striations. The choice of optimum wave-length, in the conditions studied in this paper, is fulfilled by the ambipolar diffusion in the axial direction, which damps the short wave-length striations, and by the final value of the relaxation length of the electron temperature [1/a ₁, see Eq. (4)] which limits the long-distance effect of the electric space charge field on the ionization rate.In conclusion, the authors thank F. Kroupa and M. Novák for carefully reading the paper and for valuable remarks, and S. Vepek for help in the calculations.     

Moving striations in tapered discharge tube

Moving striations in the tapered tube with smoothly changing radius are studied experimentally. The frequency depends on local tube radius by nature and increases toward the narrow end of the tube, independent of direction and magnitude of the discharge current. Radius-frequency versus radius-pressure is compatible with the similarity law for striations in cylindrical tubes. When there appears synchronization, the frequency becomes apparently constant throughout the tube column. The wavelength shows different dependences on radius without and with the synchronization. An important role is played by the feedback through an electric circuit. Also, direction and magnitude of the current have influence on the phenomena. Steady states in the tubes are compared with those in cylindrical tubes. An attempt is made to explain the observed synchronizations and then the remarkable discrepancies between the previous experiments can be eliminated.     

Experimental investigation of discharge characteristics in enhanced glow discharge plasma immersion ion implantation

In enhanced glow discharge plasma immersion ion implantation (EGD-PIII) that involves a small pointed anode and large area tabular cathode, the high negative substrate bias not only acts as the plasma producer but also supplies the implantation voltage. Consequently, an electric field is created to focus the electrons and the electron focusing field in turn enhances the glow discharge process. In this work, the discharge characteristics of EGD-PIII are investigated experimentally. The discharge initiation and extinction characteristics during pulsed biasing are discussed. The duration of the post pulse-off plasma is explained from the viewpoint of particle motion and experimentally verified by employing an auxiliary disk. Our experiments show that a dual-pulse method may be utilized to determine the remnant plasma.     

THe mechanism of the amplification of moving striations in a d-c discharge

To determine the mechanism of the amplification of moving striations one starts out from the processes which [3] showed to be decisive for the production of stratification of the plasma of a positive column. An analysis of the influence of other processes shows that the main processes leading to the decay of space charges and thus to a smoothing out of the inhomogeneities and thereby to the attenuation of the periodic structure, cannot by overcome by ionization phenomena caused by changes in the concentration of electrons but only partially compensated.It was found that the process which can lead to the predomination of the processes of amplification over the attenuation is the process of the spatial shift of the temperature deflections of the electrons with respect to the additional electric field, which is expressed in a simplified way by Eq. (12).By solving the extremely simplified basic equations it is proved that under favourable conditions this displacement can lead to both a time and a spatial amplification of the striations. Such a possibility is also verified quantitatively by substituting numerical values into the formulae obtained.

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, [3] . , , , , , ., , (12). , , . .

     

辉光放电触发赝火花开关实验研究

设计了一种辉光放电触发赝火花开关,进行了He气介质下的放电实验研究。测得了耐受电压和气压关系,结果表明:随着气压的升高,开关耐受电压减小;开关电极孔径为3mm、电极间距为4mm时的耐受电压约是电极孔径和电极间距均为3mm时的85%。在电极孔径和电极间距均为3mm时,研究了辉光放电电流、气压、触发电压等参数对开关时延、抖动的影响。结果显示:当辉光放电电流大于0.45mA、气压为7～30Pa、触发电压达到一定值,开关就能比较稳定地触发,时延短、抖动小。在辉光放电触发下,实现了开关耐受30.5kV、时延223.2ns的输出,并实现了开关抖动小于1ns的稳定输出。     

辉光放电触发赝火花开关实验研究

设计了一种辉光放电触发赝火花开关,进行了He气介质下的放电实验研究。测得了耐受电压和气压关系,结果表明：随着气压的升高,开关耐受电压减小;开关电极孔径为3 mm、电极间距为4 mm时的耐受电压约是电极孔径和电极间距均为3 mm时的85%。在电极孔径和电极间距均为3 mm时,研究了辉光放电电流、气压、触发电压等参数对开关时延、抖动的影响。结果显示：当辉光放电电流大于0.45 mA、气压为7～30 Pa、触发电压达到一定值,开关就能比较稳定地触发,时延短、抖动小。在辉光放电触发下,实现了开关耐受30.5 kV、时延223.2 ns的输出,并实现了开关抖动小于1 ns的稳定输出。     

Ordered dust structures in a glow discharge

Highly ordered three-dimensional dust structures are created in a striated glow discharge, and their horizontal cross-sectional images are analyzed. Calculated correlation functions, local correlation parameters, and corresponding approximations are used to classify the state of a structure according to the Kosterlitz-Thouless-Halperin-Nelson-Young (KTHNY) two-dimensional melting theory and a phenomenological approach. An orientational map based on an orientational parameter is proposed to expose domains in a cross section of a structure. It is shown that a plasma crystal is a polycrystal consisting of hexagonal domains (crystallites). Thermophoretic forces are used to create corners of various angles in the perimeter of the structure. Transition between hexagonal and square cell shapes is observed.     

Subprocesses accompanying nitriding in a glow discharge

Nitriding in a glow discharge is analyzed at the level of its components. A basically new (as compared to the classical) scheme of the process is proposed taking into account the most significant subprocesses.