The production of excimer molecules and excited atoms in a positive corona discharge in He/Xe(Kr)/SF6/CCl4 mixtures

Electrical and optical characteristics of a positive corona discharge in He/Xe(Kr)/SF₆/CCl₄ mixtures, which are of interest for the use in multiwavelength excimer radiation sources, are studied in the needle-grid electrode configuration. The length of the discharge, which is usually used to pump repetitive high-pressure multiwavelength radiation sources, is equal to the length of the electrodes of an excimer laser or lamp pumped by a transverse electric discharge. The discharge current-voltage and frequency characteristics, panoramic emission spectra, and the dependences of the relative emission intensity from the halogenides and excited noble gas atoms on the corona discharge current are investigated. The main processes resulting in the production of halogenides, as well as xenon and krypton excited atoms, in the generation regions of a corona discharge are studied.     

Bipolar atmospheric-pressure corona discharge in a He/H2 mixture

Results are presented from a study of the characteristics of a steady-state plasma in a He/H₂ mixture at high pressures. The plasma is formed in the outer region of a multielectrode corona discharge. It is shown that molecules of helium hydride form in such a medium, and their decomposition is accompanied by continuum emission in the 350–650 nm region. The corona discharge is distributed over the length and can be used in systems for the transverse electric circulation of the working medium of atmospheric-pressure plasma radiation sources. The reference spectra of the plasma emission and the dependence of the relative intensity of the lines and the brightness of the bands of He ₂ ^* on the value of the discharge current, pressure, and composition of the working mixture are investigated. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 69, 33–37 (July 1999)     

The first Trichel pulse of negative corona discharge in N2 with a small admixture of SF6

Current growth waveforms of transient negative point-to-plane discharge in N₂ and in N₂ with 0·025-0·1% admixture of SF₆ at a pressure of 40 kPa have been measured and compared. The transient glow discharge regime in pure N₂ was found to be preceded by a peaked current signal of conspicuous similarity to the first Trichel pulse rise and its initial decay in N₂+SF₆ mixture. The results are in a basic agreement with a hypothesis on streamer mechanism for Trichel pulse and indicate occurrence of field emission during the rise of Trichel pulse current.     

Characteristic of a negative corona discharge in active media of Xe(6p−5d) and eximer lasers

The article contains results of a study of electric and optical characteristics of a negative corona discharge in a “needles-grid” electrode system in the mixtures He/Xe and He/Xe(Kr)/HCl, which are used in periodic pulsed electric-discharge Xe(6p−5d), XeCl, and KrCl lasers. The corona discharge was ignited in a multielectrode system whose length is commensurable with the length of the active medium of the lasers. Voltage-current characteristics, radiation spectra of the discharge plasma, and the dependences of the radiation intensity of atomic spectral lines and the band λ=308 nm of XeCl (B-X) on parameters of the corona discharge are studied. For the mixture He/Xe the corona discharge exists as a spatially homogeneous discharge that is intermediate between corona and glow discharges and is transformed into an anode streamer at higher charge voltages. Collisional purification of the 6p states of the Xe atom by helium was observed. In the mixture He/Xe/HCl the corona discharge is ignited in the form of individual generation zones and a dark external region and can be used in electric systems for pumping the active media of XeCl and KrCl lasers. Uzhgorod State University, 46, Pidgirna St., Uzhgorod, 294000, Ukraine. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 65, No. 2, pp. 205–210, March–April, 1998.     

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.     

Optical characteristics of the steady-state plasma of a longitudinal discharge in a He/CFC-12 mixture

The emission from the plasma of a contracted longitudinal dc discharge in a He/CF₂Cl₂ mixture in the wavelength range 130–300 nm is investigated. It is shown that the discharge plasma emits within the range 150–260 nm. The emission consists mainly of the broad bands of Cl₂ molecules and single-charged chlorine ions. The pressure and composition of the working mixtures, the discharge current, and the time during which the emitter can operate on a single gas fill are optimized to attain the best characteristics of UV and VUV radiation. The results obtained are of interest for developing a steady-state source of VUV and UV radiation to be applied in microelectronics, photochemistry, and medicine.     

Erosion of a copper cathode in a negative corona discharge

The pulsed-periodic regime of a negative corona (Trichel pulses) in atmospheric-pressure air, which leads to explosion emission mechanisms (ecton generation) of pointed cathode erosion, is investigated. The jet erosion process at the copper cathode is discovered, and micrometer dendritelike structures formed by erosion products returning to the cathode are detected.     

棒-板电极直流负电晕放电特里切尔脉冲的微观过程分析

本文基于流体动力学理论改进出一种新的棒-板电极负电晕放电混合数值模型, 模型中加入了27种主要碰撞反应, 并考虑了光电离和二次电子发射过程. 对棒-板间距3.3 mm, 施加电压-5.0 kV情况下进行数值计算, 得到负电晕放电的特里切尔脉冲. 重点分析了单个特里切尔脉冲持续过程中5个关键时刻的微观特征量发展规律, 丰富并量化描述了特里切尔脉冲的微观过程, 主要结论如下: 随着放电时间的发展, 电场集中分布区域向阳极移动且幅值变小, 这对电子崩的发展非常不利. 大部分放电区域都是电中性的, 只有在阴极鞘和阳极鞘附近有带正电的等离子体特性, 带负电的离子云随着放电时间的发展缓慢向阳极发散式移动. 整个特里切尔脉冲持续过程中, 阴极鞘内电子密度几乎为0; 特里切尔脉冲前期, 阴极鞘附近电子密度迅速增加至最大值并保持基本不变; 随着放电时间的增加, 放电间隙内电子密度整体增加, 并且向阳极发展. 在特里切尔脉冲后期, 电子的产生主要来自于N₂和O₂的碰撞电离, 电子的消失则主要由N₂⁺的复合决定, O₄⁺和O₂^-分别是数量最多的正离子和负离子. 关键词： 负电晕 混合模型 特里切尔脉冲 微观特征量     

Comparison of the first negative corona current pulses in N2 + SF6 and CO2 + SF6 mixtures

The current waveforms of the first negative corona pulses in a small point-to-plane gap have been measured with a nanosecond time resolution in N₂ + SF₆ and CO₂ + SF₆ mixtures at a pressure 50 kPa for various contents of SF₆ as a function of applied gap voltages. The physical mechanism for the pulses in these mixtures with low concentration of SF₆ has been described using the streamer-based theory. The influence of changing admixtures of SF₆ in N₂ and CO₂ has been compared. Differences in the pulse waveforms observed in N₂- and CO₂-based gas mixtures are explained by differences in the first and second Townsend ionization coefficients. This work was supported by the Grant Agency VEGA from the Ministry of Education of Slovak Republic under contracts 1/1011/04 and 1/2017/05.     

Volume electrical discharge in Ne/SF6/C6H14 and pure SF6

The electrical and spatial characteristics of a volume electrical discharge are studied as functions of the ratio of partial pressures of the mixture components at varying initial voltage. Early in the discharge, hot (plasma) cathode spots are observed with diffusive plasma flares developing above them. Overlapping of the flares produces a volume plasma column. The column homogeneity depends on the diffusive-flare density, and the length of the volume-discharge stage is determined by the time it takes for one or more flares to transform and give rise to the channel stage. Estimates of the ionization, attachment, and ion recombination rates are used to show that the electron density in plasma channels is two orders of magnitude lower than that of positive and negative ions forming a stagnant stiff skeleton of the plasma. Institute of High Current Electronics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 8, pp. 43–49, August, 1999.     

Imaging of a mixture of hyperpolarized 3He and 129Xe

With the use of hyperpolarized gases, a great number of experiments have been carried out in order to improve the diagnostics of the lung, both from a structural and a functional point of view. 3He is best suited for structural studies, whereas 129Xe gives more detailed information about the functionality of the lung because it enters the bloodstream. In this work, we propose the use of a gas mixture to perform consecutive analysis of lung structure and functionality upon the delivery of a single bolus of gas. We show images of a helium-xenon gas mixture in the presence of a small amount of liquid toluene in order to demonstrate how both nuclei can be detected independently, extracting the spectroscopic information provided by the 129Xe spectra and obtaining an image with high sensitivity for 3He. A second experiment performed on a dissected mouse lung was used to demonstrate how the mixture of gases can enhance sensitivity in the larger airways of the lung.     

电激励脉冲HF激光SF_6/C_2H_6工作气体的放电特性

研究了电激励脉冲HF激光工作介质SF6/C2H6混合气体的放电特性。通过对放电等离子体荧光图像和放电波形的测量,分析比较了不同条件下放电稳定性、剩余电压、能量沉积效率等特性参数的变化情况。实验结果表明:混合气体的放电过程存在主放电、剩余电压维持和电弧放电3个阶段,各阶段的放电特性有所差异;提高充电电压有利于放电能量的有效沉积,也会使不稳定的电弧放电提前;增加C2H6原子分数能起到抑制电弧放电的作用;混合气体总压的增加会导致剩余电压的提高以及辉光放电的能量沉积效率的降低;最佳的能量沉积出现在电弧放电阶段与辉光放电阶段即将融合的临界状态。     

Emission from a DC glow discharge in a He/H2O mixture

The electrical and optical characteristics of a longitudinal dc glow discharge in a cylindrical discharge tube in mixtures of helium with saturated water vapor at room temperature are investigated. In the UV range, a broad band with a maximum at λ_max=309.6 nm and Δλ=9 nm prevails. The H_α 656.3-nm, H_β 486.1-nm, and HeI lines in the range 440–670 nm are the main diagnostic spectral lines. The helium partial pressure and the glow discharge current are optimized to achieve the maximum intensities of the 309.6-nm band and HeI and HI spectral lines. The results obtained are of interest for the development of an ecologically safe radiation source based on the products of the decomposition of water molecules and clusters in plasma.     

Bifurcation analysis of the corona discharge on a negative electrode

A bifurcation analysis of the cylindrically symmetric solution obtained in the framework of the steady-state model of the negative corona discharge in air at atmospheric pressure has been carried out. No bifurcations have been found, which indicates that current contraction probably does not occur in the considered model. It follows that the current-free stripes on the corona cathode surface, observed by previous authors in two- and three-dimensional computer simulation and in experiment, are due to the specific discharge geometry rather than current contraction.     

A simple model of processes in the drift region of negative corona discharge in a mixture of air with halocarbons

A model for negative glow corona discharge in a coaxial electrode configuration is presented. The main goal of this model is to describe the influence of a more efficiently electron-attaching gas on the distribution of free electron density in the drift region. The calculated distributions of electrons and other ionic components are shown. The model was applied in experiments realized in air + freon mixtures. A qualitative agreement between theoretical and experimental results was achieved.     

Theoretical investigation of ozone production in negative corona discharge

The purpose of this work is to highlight the chemical kinetics in plasma of pure oxygen. A comprehensive model of ozone generation in wire-to-cylinder negative corona discharge is presented. The model combines the physical processes in the discharge with the chemistry of ozone formation. It is based on an extensive reaction scheme including the major electronic and ionic processes. The importance of excited atomic and molecular states is demonstrated. The obtained results show clearly that the surface material affect quite well the ozone decomposition.     

Frequency response characteristics of trichel pulses and the behavior of the cathode spot in a negative corona discharge

A negative corona discharge in the regime of Trichel pulses has been investigated in air at atmospheric pressure. Correlation between the behavior of the cathode spot and oscillograms of the discharge current has been revealed. The frequency response characteristics of the negative corona current have been measured as functions of voltage, tip curvature, interelectrode distance, and cathode material. It has been determined that the curvature of the tip surface in the cathode-spot localization region decisively affects the amplitude of pulses.     

Electrical characteristics of a corona discharge reactor of multipoint-to-plane geometry

The current-voltage characteristics of the discharge in multipoint to plane geometry have been studied experimentally. In this electrode configuration the space charge produced by each point influences the discharge processes from adjacent points. The total current and the current from one of the discharge points isolated from the rest of the electrode have been measured. The current-voltage characteristics have been examined for both positive and negative polarities as a function of interpoint distances and interelectrode spacing. The power per unit volume of the discharge has been determined for the different geometrical parameters of the reactor. The experiments were carried out in air at normal pressure and ambient humidity.Presented at 17^th Symposium Plasma Physics and Technology, Prague, June 13–16, 1995.This paper is based on research sponsored by the Polish Committee for Scientific Research (KBN grant No. P40103304).     

Parametric study of the characteristics of Trichel pulses in the needle-plane negative corona discharge in atmospheric air

A numerical study of the impact of different model coefficients on the frequency, DC current, and the rise time of the Trichel pulses in a needle-plane negative corona discharge is presented here. The studied coefficients include the coefficients of the ionization and attachment reactions, the mobilities of the three charged species considered in the model (electrons and positive and negative ions), and the coefficient of the secondary emission of electrons. The characteristics of the pulses were also studied using another set of model coefficients which includes an extended number of reactions such as detachment of the electrons from negative ions.