A microwave resonator device for measuring the plasma density is described. A method is proposed for determining the radial distribution function of the plasma density by measuring a shift of resonance frequencies for two oscillation modes. According to experimental results, the device is suitable for measuring the plasma density in the range 10 9 -10 11 cm −3 .

A model of stationary reflex discharge, which is based on the volume-averaged (global) one, has been considered in the case of weakly ionized non-isothermal plasma. The temperature and the density of plasma electrons are calculated. The process of cathode sputtering and the formation of sputtered ions by means of the electron impact ionization, Penning ionization, and sputtered ion charge exchange at gas ions in plasma are analyzed. The dependence of the ionization degree of sputtered atoms on plasma parameters is determined. The influence of the Penning ionization on the balance of charged particles in plasma is considered.

The paper is concerned with the plasma-filled diode performance in the intensive mode regulated by means of external gas puffing. The possibility to smoothly vary the plasma parameters in the discharge gap zone, and thus, to optimize the main diode characteristics (Ucutoff, Icutoff) by the external gas puffing method has been confirmed by experiment. The introduction of additional quantity of neutral gas into the discharge causes the change in the plasma density balance due to elementary processes in physics of electronic and atomic collisions, such as ionization, dissociation, recombination. The deviation of actual voltage/current values from their maximum values can be attributed to the mismatch in the generator-load feed circuit.

Specific radiation-loss power values have been determined for a variety of electronegative elements (C, O, F, Cl) as functions of electron temperature and impurity particle concentration. The maximum radiation-loss power level has been registered for chlorine (≤770 W/cm3) at an electron/impurity density of 1014 cm-3. The minimum radiation-loss power level for the other three elements lies in the range from 0.4 to 2 W/cm3. Considerable radiation losses due to the presence of electronegative elements in the interelectrode discharge may lead to its destabilization, to the change in the plasma parameters (ne, Te), and eventually, to degradation of the current-voltage characteristic of the plasma current switch.

Based on literary sources, we present here the data on electron affinity values for a variety of negative atomic ions, and also, for some molecules and radicals being of interest for current experimental studies. Besides, the ionization potentials are given for nearly all ionization states of some electronegative elements (C, O, F, Cl). For the said elements, the ionization-recombination parameters and the dependences of the fractional values (ionic fraction) for ionization states and on the electron temperature within the framework of ionization equilibrium are given. A comparison is carried out between the calculated and experimental distributions of the fractions of multicharged C+4 ions versus electron temperature.