UV Radiation Source Based on the Plasma of a Glow Discharge in a Mixture of Helium with Water Vapors

The results on the optical characteristics of the glow–discharge plasma in an He/H₂O mixture are presented. It has been established that it is a source of UV radiation in the region 306–315 nm (_max = 309.6 nm). Radiation lines of the atoms of hydrogen (H 486.1 nm and H 656.3 nm) and helium (491.1, 501.1, 587.6, and 667.8 nm) were recorded in the visible region of the spectrum; they can be used as diagnostic lines in measuring the parameters of this plasma (n _e, T _e) by the method of emission spectroscopy. The intensity of the UV bands and of the spectral lines HI and HeI have been optimized depending on the partial pressure of helium and the discharge current. The results obtained are of interest for the development of an ecologically pure source of UV radiation on the basis of chemiluminescence of water vapors in a longitudinal glow discharge.     

Diagnostics of the Cathode-Drop Region of Glow Discharge at Atmospheric Pressure by the Helium and Hydrogen Line Profiles

The profiles of H-hydrogen and HeI 492.2-nm lines in the cathode-drop region of self-maintained glow discharge in helium at atmospheric pressure have been measured. A calculation method is proposed and calculations have been made of the line profiles of hydrogen and helium in a combined electric field having a constant and a fluctuating component. The strength values of the constant and variable components of the electric field, measured with the help of helium and hydrogen lines, are in good agreement.     

On the use of relative line intensities of forbidden and allowed components of several HeI lines for electric field measurements

In this Letter we propose a method for electric field measurements based on intensity ratio of forbidden and allowed helium lines. HeI 402.6 nm, HeI 447.1 nm, and HeI 492.1 lines and their forbidden components are used for the measurement of electric field strength in the cathode region of the abnormal glow discharge in helium-hydrogen mixture. Electric filed strength was independently determined using polarization spectroscopy of Hβ line and then compared with electric filed strength obtained from relative intensity of HeI forbidden and allowed lines.     

Emission characteristics of a discharge iodine vapor plasma in the spectral region of the main absorption maximum of DNA molecules

Radiation of glow and capacitive discharges in inert gas-iodine vapor mixtures is studied in the spectral range 150–210 nm, which coincides with the main absorption maximum of the DNA molecules. Iodine atomic spectral lines at 150.7, 161.8, 170.2, 183.0, and 206.2 nm are observed in the spectra. The emission intensity of the iodine spectral lines is optimized by varying the glow discharge current, capacitive discharge frequency, as well as pressure and composition of the gas mixtures. The glow and capacitive discharges are ignited in cylindrical quartz tubes with interelectrode gaps of 10 and 6 cm. Helium and neon are found to be the most effective buffer gases. The optimum partial pressures of the light inert gases and iodine vapor in the glow discharge are within 0.4–0.6 kPa and 100–150 Pa, respectively. In the capacitive discharge in He(Ne)-I₂ mixtures, the optimum partial helium, neon, and iodine vapor pressures are within 0.8–2.0 kPa, 0.5–1.0 kPa, and ≤ 60 Pa, respectively. It is demonstrated that pulsed bactericidal radiation sources with light pulse lengths of 400–500 ns and continuous radiation sources emitting within the spectral range 150–207 nm can be designed on the basis of low-density iodine vapor plasma.     

Electrical and optical characterization of pulsed plasma of N<Subscript>2</Subscript>–H<Subscript>2</Subscript>

This paper considers the electrical and optical characterization of glow discharge pulsed plasma in N₂/H₂ gas mixtures at a pressures range between 0.5 and 4.0 Torr and discharge current between 0.2 and 0.6 A. Electron temperature and ion density measurements were performed employing a double Langmuir probe. They were found to increase rapidly as the H₂ percentage in the mixture was increased up to 20%. This increase slows down as the H₂ percentage in the gas mixture was increased above 20% at the same pressure. Emission spectroscopy was employed to observe emission from the pulsed plasma of a steady-state electric discharge. The discharge mainly emits within the range 280–500 nm. The emission consists of N₂ (C-X) 316, 336, 358 nm narrow peaks and a broad band with a maximum at λ_max = 427 nm. Also lines of N₂, N₂ ⁺ and NH excited states were observed. All lines and bands have their maximum intensity at the discharge current of 0.417 A. The intensities of the main bands and spectral lines are determined as functions of the total pressure and discharge current. Agreement with other theoretical and experimental groups was established.     

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.     

Emission characteristics of a gas-discharge plasma of water vapor in the vacuum UV region of the spectrum

We present the results of a study of emission from a low-density water vapor plasma in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) region of the spectrum. The plasma was formed in a longitudinal glow discharge. We have studied the spectral characteristics of the plasma and also the dependences of the relative energy characteristics of the hydroxyl (OH) emission band on the discharge current and the helium partial pressure in a He-H₂O mixture in the spectral range 130–190 nm. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 73, No. 6, pp. 831–833, November–December, 2006.     

Optical characteristics of a repetitively pulsed low-pressure discharge in a krypton-freon-12 mixture

Results of a study of the plasma radiation of a repetitively pulsed discharge in a Kr/CF₂ Cl₂ mixture (P≤1.5 kPa) in the 130–300 nm spectral range are presented. Spatial, spectral, and temporal characteristics of the discharge are studied in a spherical anode-plane cathode system, in which the repetitively pulsed mode is established due to the evolving instability of the glow discharge. It is demonstrated that a discharge of this type can be used for the development of a repetitively pulsed low-pressure bactericidal lamp which emits in the band system of KrCl (222 nm) and Cl₂ (257, 200 nm) in the 180–270 nm spectral range.     

Radiative characteristics and kinetics of processes in low-pressure gas-discharge lamps based on a mixture of helium and iodine vapors

The UV radiation of glow- and capacitive-discharge lamps based on mixtures of inert gases with iodine vapors are optimized in the spectral range of 175–360 nm, in which working helium-iodine mixtures of different compositions are used. The most intense spectral lines in the bactericidal region of the spectrum were the atomic lines of iodine (183.0, 206.2 nm), and in the region of 320–360 nm, emission of the spectral band of an iodine molecule prevailed with a maximum at λ = 342 nm. For a capacitive lamp with a casing opaque in the spectral range λ < 250 nm, the main part of the plasma emission power is concentrated in the A′-D′ band of an iodine molecule with a maximum at 342 nm. The emission brightness of this lamp is optimized in iodine molecule transitions depending on the partial helium pressure. We present the results of simulating the kinetics of processes in a glow-discharge plasma in mixtures of He, Xe, and iodine vapors. We establish the dependence of the main part of the emission intensity of the 206.2 nm spectral line of an iodine atom and the 342 nm band of an iodine molecule on the helium pressure in a glow-discharge lamp operating on a He-I₂ mixture.     

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.     

Experimental study of the effect of a longitudinal magnetic field on the cathode parts of a glow discharge in helium

The effect of a longitudinal magnetic field on the electrical and optical properties of negative glow and the Faraday dark space of a glow discharge in helium is experimentally studied at a discharge current J_d=11 mA and a pressure of 100–150 Pa in the discharge chamber. An experimental setup is designed and described. A longitudinal electric field is found to be absent in the region of negative glow and the Faraday dark space in both the presence and the absence of the magnetic field. The magnetic field is shown to decrease the voltage of the glow discharge and to increase the total discharge luminosity and the intensities of some spectral lines by a factor of 10–12. The experimental results are explained.     

Influence of the iodine vapor pressure on the output characteristics of a UV low-pressure gas-discharge lamp

The influence of the iodine vapor pressure on the output characteristics of a UV lamp pumped by a longitudinal glow discharge is studied. The lamp is filled with a helium-iodine mixture to a pressure of 100–1500 Pa. In the spectral range 320–360 nm, the I₂(D′ → A′) band with a peak at 342 nm prevails, while in the bactericidal range, iodine atomic lines at 183.0 and 206.2 nm dominate. The power of the UV lamp is optimized according to the iodine vapor pressure and working mixture composition by numerical simulation.     

Spectroscopic Investigation of a Double Discharge Pulsed Electron Beam Generator

ABSTRACT

The wide range of applications of the plasma-based electron beam generator make it necessary to diagnose the device with a noninterfering method. The results of experimental and modeling studies of neutral helium and hydrogen beta spectral lines emitted from the double discharge pulsed electron beam generator are presented in this paper. Neutral helium lines emitted from the plasma in the pressure range 0.1–0.4 torr are studied and compared with results of the collisional radiative model. The duration of the electron beam is shorter than 100 ns, and the peak current intensity is of order amperes. The full width at half maximum of the H _β spectral line is used for the determination of the plasma electron density, found as 3.16 × 10²¹ m^?3 at 0.3 torr, and good agreement is obtained by comparing with the full computer simulation method.     

Investigation of the conditions of efficient I*<Subscript>2</Subscript> (342 nm) luminescence in a barrier discharge in a Kr-I<Subscript>2</Subscript> mixture

The energy and spectral characteristics of a barrier discharge in a mixture of iodine vapor with krypton have been investigated theoretically and experimentally. The emission spectrum consists of the single I*₂ molecular band D′ → A′ peaking at 342 nm, the iodine resonance line at 206.2 nm, and the group of bands corresponding to iodine emission. The highest intensity of the I*₂ (342 nm) band was obtained at a mixture pressure near 450 Torr. A mean output power and an efficiency of 550 mW and 1.6%, respectively, have been achieved. It is shown that, for the I₂ barrier-discharge excilamp, the homogeneous, rather than filamentary form of discharge glow is optimal from the viewpoint of the highest mean output power. The maximal calculated value of the emission efficiency for the 342-nm band was 5%. The main processes determining energy losses in plasma have been found, and ways to increase the efficiency of emission in the D′ → A′ band of the I*₂ molecule have been proposed.     

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.     

Optical characteristics of a transverse volume discharge in a helium-hydrogen chloride mixture

The emission characteristics of a transverse volume discharge in a He: HCl = 10: 1 mixture at a total pressure of 1–8 kPa were investigated. The plasma volume was 18 × 2.2 × 1 cm³, the interelectrode distance was d=2.2 cm, and the charging voltage of the main storage capacitor was 5–10 kV. The emission characteristics of the discharge were studied in the spectral range of 500–1000 nm. This type of discharge can be used in pulsed dry-etching plasmochemical reactors. The density of atomic chlorine radicals in the plasma was optimized in terms of the pressure of the initial working He-HCl mixture by measuring the relative radiation intensity of the Cl 837(5)-nm spectral line. The density of molecular radicals can be monitored indirectly by recording radiation from the excited chlorine-free decomposition products of HCl molecules (the H_α 656-nm line).     

Short-wavelength emission characteristics of a longitudinal bromine vapor glow discharge in a quartz tube

The output emission characteristics are presented in the spectral range 150–350 nm for a longitudinal bromine vapor glow discharge in a quartz tube (inner diameter 1.4 cm, interelectrode distance 10 cm). Pressure of the working mixtures: P = 0.2–1.0 kPa. The emission spectrum of the lamp based on an He-Br₂ mixture consists of the 163.3 nm and 157.6 nm spectral lines of the bromine atom and a system of molecular bromine bands (170–300 nm). The total power of UV-VUV emission of the lamp based on an He-Br₂ mixture is 5 W max for efficiency <10%. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 74, No. 6, pp. 816–819, November–December, 2007.     

Pressure effects of Ar and He on the first two members of the Balmer series of hydrogen

Temperatures of over 6000°K and pressures of over 1000 atmospheres were reproducibly obtained over a period of a few hundred microseconds with a ballistic compressor. The test gas was heated before compression and energy added during each shot by a capacitive discharge system. For a range of r.d. 27–63, the blue shift of H_α produced by helium was only 0.05 cm^-1/r.d. The line was symmetrically broadened and was essentially Lorentzian until the r.d. was above 40. The shift and broadening of the H_β line produced by helium were 2.5 times and 3.2 times higher than those of H_α. The pressure effects of argon on the H_α line are essentially similar to those observed for the spectral lines of alkali metals and singly ionized alkaline earths.     

Narrowing and broadening parameters for H2O lines perturbed by helium,argon and xenon in the 1170–1440 cm−1 spectral range

Collision effects on water vapor at low concentration in a mixture with noble gases (helium, argon and xenon) have been studied by Fourier transform spectroscopy in the pressure range where line narrowing by dynamic confinement (Dicke effect) and collision broadening are observable, i.e. when the Voigt function cannot reproduce the observed profiles. Precise values of the broadening parameter have been obtained for the P and Q branches of the H₂O ν ₂ band taking into account molecular confinement (hard or soft collisions). The broadening parameter value derived from a Voigt profile for H₂O lines perturbed by helium is smaller by about 10% than values determined using the soft or hard collision model. For H₂O lines perturbed by argon or xenon this difference can reach more than 50% for the narrowest lines.     

Light Source with a Thermoionic Cathode

A light source with a thermoionic cathode has been investigated in helium at atmospheric pressure; the spectral radiance of the light source in the range 200–800 nm and the cathode temperature (3510 K) have been determined. Its employment as a light source in absorption spectroscopy for determination of the concentration of triplet and singlet metastable helium atoms in an atmospheric-pressure glow discharge has been demonstrated. The total concentration of metastable atoms was 3.5·10¹³ cm^–3.