Pulsed plasma source of refractory metals

A pulsed plasma source of metal vapors is proposed, including refractory metals. The potentials of this source are illustrated on atomic rhenium, for example. A spectroscopic investigation of the spatial and temporal characteristics of the radiation arid the plasma parameters is conducted for a Re-He mixture. It is shown that the source permits one to realize a plasma over a wide range of parameters. In the spatial zone above the electrodes, the temporal evolution of the concentration distribution of Re atoms in the ground state is measured. A maximum value of 5·10⁺¹⁴ cm^–3 is achieved.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 4, pp. 48–52, April, 1988.