CO2-laser gas discharges in narrow gaps

We have studied RF discharges as excitation mechanisms for distributed feedback (DFB) CO₂ lasers. For CO₂ laser plasmas the reduced electric fieldE/N has to be in a well-defined range. The reduced electric fieldsE/N of gas discharges in the narrow gaps with widths of the order of 100 m required for DFB are considerably above this range. In order to study the feasibility of these RF-excited discharges for DFB CO₂ lasers we have measured the electron temperatureT _e in their plasmas. From helium-line-intensity ratios we have deduced a lower limit of the electron temperatureT _e of 4eV. The observed high intensities of bands of singly ionized nitrogen indicate an even higher electron temperature, but an efficient pumping of the upper laser level is not possible with an electron temperature above 2.5 eV.We have estimated the electron densityn _e and the current densityj _e from ratios of the intesities of forbidden and allowed helium lines. The high current densityj _e is in the range of abnormal glow discharges.In the gas discharges between narrow gaps the electron oscillation amplitudex _e is large than the electrode separationd. In order to replace the resulting high electron losses a high electron temperatureT _e is necessary to sustain the gas discharge. Because of this high electron temperatureT _e an efficient pumping of the upper laser level is not possible.     

Generation of H− ions in a low-pressure xenon-hydrogen discharge. I

A theory of a low-pressure discharge in a xenon-molecular hydrogen mixture is developed. It is shown that, in such a discharge, at an interelectrode distance of L = 1 cm and a total plasma pressure of p ₀ ～ 1 Torr, the density of negative hydrogen ions produced via the dissociative attachment of thermal electrons to vibrationally excited molecules H₂ can reach a value as high as N_H ^? ≥ 10¹² cm^?3. According to calculations, the electron temperature in discharge operating regimes under study attains T _e ≈ 1?2 eV, which corresponds to the maximum of the e-v exchange rate constant of H₂ molecules. This ensures a relatively high rate of vibrational pumping of H₂ molecules in the discharge.     

Microscopic theory of a strongly correlated two-dimensional electron gas

The rearrangement of the Fermi surface in a diluted two-dimensional electron gas beyond the topological quantum critical point has been examined within an approach based on the Landau theory of Fermi liquid and a nonperturbative functional method. The possibility of a transition of the first order in the coupling constant at zero temperature between the states with a three-sheet Fermi surface and a transition of the first order in temperature between these states at a fixed coupling constant has been shown. It has also been shown that a topological crossover, which is associated with the joining of two sheets of the Fermi surface and is characterized by the maxima of the density of states N(T) and ratio C(T)/T of the specific heat to the temperature, occurs at a very low temperature T _⋄ determined by the structure of a state with the three-sheet Fermi surface. A momentum region where the distribution n(p, T) depends slightly on the temperature, which is manifested in the maximum of the specific heat C(T) near T _*, appears through a crossover at temperatures T ∼ T _* > T _⋄. It has been shown that the flattening of the single-particle spectrum of the strongly correlated two-dimensional electron gas results in the crossover from the Fermi liquid behavior to a non-Fermi liquid one with the density of states N(T) ∝ T ^−α with the exponent α }~ 2/3.     

Kinetische Diagnose des Helium-Niederdruckfunkens

In a short spark discharge (energy release time < 0,5 μs) at pressures between 10 and 100 Torr a pure helium plasma was created and investigated by spectroscopic techniques. The following time dependent plasma parameters could be determined (0,5 ≦ t ≦ 5 μs): pressure p from hydrodynamic considerations, electron density n_e from the line profiles and gas temperature T_g from the Boltzmann population of the higher levels, i ≧. The population densities of the levels 3 and 4 deviated from the Boltzmann-T_g-straight line and thus indicated a strong disturbance of thermal equilibrium. For the determination of the electron temperature T_e an ionization rate equation was formulated, which took into consideration electron impact ionization, three body recombination and radiation recombination. The deviation from thermal equilibrium of the spark plasma was nearly constant in the investigated pressure-time region: the ratio T_g/T_e gave ≈ 0,06; the ration n_e/n_o was about 7 orders of magnitude below the corresponding Saha ratio.     

Electron Temperature Relaxation in Afterglow Plasmas: Diffusion Cooling

We have carried out a thorough theoretical analysis of the cooling and heating processes of the electron gas in Ne, Ar and Kr afterglow plasmas. Thus the rate of relaxation of the electron temperature, T_e, is seen to be in good agreement with the experimental measurements when spatial gradients of T_e in the early afterglow and heating of the electron gas by superelastic collisions between the electrons and metastable atoms are accounted for. At low pressures of the rare gases, p_g, the phenomenon of diffusion cooling occurs in which T_e relaxes to an equilibrium temperature, T_ee, which is less than the gas temperature, T_g. This reduction in T_ee below T_g is mirrored in a reduction in the ambipolar diffusion coefficient, D_a, for the rare gas atomic ions and electrons. Thus the D_a can be calculated as a function of p_g using the values of T_ee, and when this is done, properly accounting for the heating by metastable atoms, the calculated and experimental values of D_a in all three rare gas afterglows are seen to be in agreement.     

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.     

On the Coulomb energy of a finite-temperature electron gas

We rederive the Coulomb expansion of the electron gas average energy at finite temperature, starting from scratch, i.e., using only the framework of the grand canonical ensemble and not the finite-T Green's function formalism. We recover the analytical expressions of the exchange and correlation energy in both the high-T and theT=0 limits. We explicitly show the origin of the crossover of the correlation energy leading term frome ⁴ lne ² at zero temperature toe ³ at finiteT. We also discuss the relative importance of exchange and correlation in both limits.     

Model of pulsed electric discharge expansion in dense gas taking into account electron and radiative thermal conductivity. III. Limit discharge temperature

Based on the energy conservation law for the shell of a pulsed high-current electric discharge in dense gas (Xe, Kr, Ar, Ne, He, N₂, air) an equation for the relative temperature of the discharge channel was derived taking into account electron and radiative thermal conductivities and the energy expended to ionization of gas involved in the discharge. The condition under which the limit channel temperature T _LIM is achieved was determined by solving this equation, and the universal dependence between the temperature T _LIM and the ionization potentials of the above gas atoms was obtained. It was shown that this universal dependence is in agreement with experimental data.     

The specific heat of a degenerate electron gas

The internal energy of a degenerate electron gas is evaluated for finite temperature to first order ine ² by applying the Sommerfeld method to the grand partition function. The specific heat is obtained correctly by temperature differentiation in which the shift of the Fermi momentum from the ideal gas value is taken into consideration. Thus, this theory differs from those given previously by Pines, Gell-Mann and others. In fact, there appears no divergence such as encountered by Gell-Mann in his approximate approach. The specific heat thus evaluated increases slightly withr _s in agreement with recent experimental data on alkali metals. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation.     

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)     

Spatiotemporal spectroscopic diagnostics of a pulse-periodic strontium vapor laser

Results of spectroscopic investigations into plasma of a pulse-periodic strontium vapor laser operating in the superradiance mode on the infrared transition at λ = 6.45 μm are presented. The method of determining the electron temperature and concentration as well as the gas temperature – T _e , n _e , and T _g – based on measuring the absolute intensities of some SrI and SrII and buffer gas (helium or neon) spectral lines is used. Time dependences of the line intensities during a current pulse (τ = 150 ns) and near afterglow (up to 3 μs) are obtained under conditions of non-equilibrium plasma ionization and recombination. The optical system collects radiation from the entire length of the plasma column by means of separating radial volume zones, includingthe central zone and the zone closer to the walls, with the monochromator slit. The results obtained allow us not only to calculate T _e , n _e , and T _g values, but also to trace the spatiotemporal plasma evolution.     

气流对氮气介质阻挡放电气体温度及放电模式的影响

利用光谱测量和高速照相的方法,对大气压氮气介质阻挡放电进行了研究.在气流的帮助下,2mm气隙中的均匀放电可以长时间得以维持.根据放电电流波形和1μs曝光时间的放电图像,这种均匀放电被判定为汤森放电.用氦氖激光器对实验中所用的光谱仪带来的谱线轮廓展宽进行了标定,并将得到的仪器展宽数据输入Specair软件,计算了不同气体温度下氮分子二正系0—2谱带的谱线轮廓.通过用计算谱线轮廓去拟合实验谱线轮廓,确定了氮分子的转动温度并将其近似为气体温度.结果表明:大气压氮气介质阻挡汤森放电并不能使气体温度大幅上升(ΔTg≤50K),气体温度的小幅上升不会引起热不稳定性而导致放电发展成为细丝放电.气流确实可以降低放电气体温度,但这不是使汤森放电得以维持的原因.通过比较加入气流前后的放电光谱可知,气流降低了气隙中杂质氧的含量,使得更多的氮分子亚稳态N2(A3Σu+)的寿命延长到下一次放电的起始时刻,为汤森放电提供了必需的大量种子电子.     

Gravity modulation study on opposed flame spread over thin solid fuels

In this work a numerical investigation has been carried out to study the effect of g-jitter on zero-gravity (0g_e) opposed flow spreading flame over thin solid fuels. For comparison simulations have also been carried out for normal gravity (1g_e) downward spreading flames. G-jitter is emulated by gravity modulation of sinusoidal (A_ge sin(2πt/T_ge)) gravity perturbation (g-perturbation) of a particular time-period (T_ge) and amplitude (A_ge) over a selected base gravity level (0g_e or 1g_e). The response of flames at 0g_e base gravity and at 1g_e base gravity was different to the imposed g-perturbation. While at 0g_e the mean and the amplitude of the oscillatory flame spread rate (FSR) magnified with increase in the time period of g-perturbation, interestingly for the 1g_e flame a maximum mean FSR and oscillation amplitude occurs at certain perturbation time period. Further, at very small perturbation time-periods (T_ge) the FSR at 1g_e was lower than the steady state FSR. The amplitude of oscillatory FSR increased with increase in perturbation amplitude (A_ge). However, the 0g_e flame which is little affected (compared to 1g_e flame) at small perturbation amplitude (A_ge) is affected severely at large perturbation amplitude (A_ge). Both the gas phase and fuel pyrolysis (or fuel response) follow perturbation signal with a lag but fuel pyrolysis is more sluggish and lags behind gas phase. The phase lag between fuel pyrolysis and gas increases at smaller time-periods (T_ge) and tends to enhance the effect of external perturbation whereas at larger time-periods (T_ge) this lag inhibits the effect of external perturbation.     

The role of dissociative electron attachment to metal halides in a low-pressure glow discharge

The conditions are analyzed under which the dissociative attachment of electrons determines the properties of a nonequilibrium glow discharge plasma containing metal halides. The possibility of applying a simplified approach for the estimation of dissociative attachment and vibrational excitation cross sections of metal halides by combining quantum and semiclassical methods is discussed. By way of example, processes in a nonequilibrium Ar-SnI₂ plasma are analyzed in detail.     

Spectral diagnostics of a unipolar high-frequency discharge excited in nitrogen and argon at pressures from 1 to 12 atm

By methods of spectral diagnostics, the temperature of neutral gas and the electron temperature and density have been determined in the channel of a unipolar high-frequency discharge excited at very high pressures. In nitrogen the h.f. discharge was excited at pressures of 1–5 atm, in argon at pressures of 1–12 atm. In the discharge excited in argon, the electron temperature does not change with increasing pressure and isT _e =(6–7)×10³ °K; the electron density increases with increasing pressure. It can be demonstrated that the electron velocity distribution is given by a Maxwellian distribution function although the plasma of a unipolar high-frequency discharge is non-isothermal (T _e –T _n 5×10³ °K).In conclusion, the author thanks Prof. Dr. V. Truneek for stimulating remarks and his kind interest in this work.     

Zersetzung von CCl4 im HF-Niederdruckplasma für plasmachemisches Ätzen von Aluminium

After a brief summary of decomposition processes occuring in a plasma etching reactor investigations of CCl₄-decomposition by gaschromatography and time resolved emission spectroscopy are described. The decomposition takes place in a plasma tube with external r.f. electrodes. The qualitative identification of decomposition products of CCl₄ shows few main products only quite in contrast to plasma decomposition of hydrocarbons. These are CCl₄, Cl₂, C₂Cl₄, C₂Cl₆ and glow polymers. The dependence of the product distribution on power density and flow rate gives some hints for a rapid decomposition mechanism. The time resolved emission spectroscopy bases on a two channel method using a reference signal of an Ar line to eliminate the changing plasma conditions during the decomposition process. The limits of application of this method are discussed. Investigations of CCl-, Cl₂- and Cl-intensity-time-functions also reveal the existence of a the rapid decomposition mechanism for which a dissociative electron attachment is supported giving rate constants in the expected order of magnitude.     

The self‐energy of the uniform electron gas in the second order of exchange

The on‐shell self‐energy of the homogeneous electron gas in second order of exchange, Σ_2x = Re Σ_2x (k_F, k² _F/2), is given by a certain integral. This integral is treated here in a similar way as Onsager, Mittag, and Stephen [Ann. Physik (Leipzig) 18 , 71 (1966)] have obtained their famous analytical expression e_2x = (in atomic units) for the correlation energy in second order of exchange. Here it is shown that the result for the corresponding on‐shell self‐energy is Σ_2x = e_2x. The off‐shell self‐energy Σ_2x (k, o) correctly yields 2e_2x (the potential component of e_2x) through the Galitskii‐Migdal formula. The quantities e_2x and Σ_2x appear in the high‐density limit of the Hugenholtz‐van Hove (Luttinger‐Ward) theorem.     

Negative Ions,Ozone, and Metastable Components in dc Oxygen Glow Discharge

In a dc glow discharge in oxygen, the concentrations of minor components of O₂(a¹Δ_g), O₂(b¹ Σ_g), O₃, O(¹D), as well as nagative ions and electrons have been measured. Balance equations have been derived which describe satisfactorily the stationary concentrations of these components as functions of gas pressure and discharge current. For the first time, the rate constants of important aeronomical reactions (a) O^? + O₂(a¹Δ_g) → O₃ + e, (b) O₂^? + O₂(a¹Δ_g) → 2O₂ + e and (c) e + O₃ → O₂^? +O have been measured as functions of gas temperature T and mean energies of ions E_i and electron E₆: K_a = (2.5 ± 0.5) · 10^?9 · (T/300)^{4 ± 0.4}· (E_i/0.04)^{?2.6 ± 0.4} cm³/s for T = 385?605 K and E_i = 0.10 ? 0.66 eV; K_b = (1.0 ± 0.3) · 10^?10 · (T/300)^{?2 ± 0.5} · (E_i/0.04)^{0.23 ± 0.05} cm³/s for T = 330?605 K and E_i = 0.09 + 1.5 eV; K_c for E_e = 0.8÷5 eV.     

Utilization of rotational and vibrational temperatures for plasma diagnostics of high-pressure discharges

In the spectra of high-pressure discharges excited in molecular gases, very intensive molecular spectral bands may usually be observed. We may determine the rotational and vibrational temperatures without difficulty, however, the rotational and vibrational temperatures (T _r, T_v) do not offen equal to the temperature of neutral gas (T ₀) or to that of electrons (T _e). If the collision cross sections of electronic, atomic, and molecular excitation (deexcitation) are known, we may then calculate the dependence of the rotational and vibrational temperatures onT _e,T ₀,N _e and the pressure of the gas. The calculations have been performed for pure N₂ and for an Ar-N₂ mixture at atmospheric pressure. The computed graphs make it possible to determine some of the values 4T _e,T ₀,N _e if the temperaturesT _r andT _v are known.The author wishes to extend his thanks to Prof. V. Truneek for valuable comments and to Mr. A. Struka for the preparation of the diagrams.     

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.