Measurements of plasma parameters in a hollow electrode AC glow discharge in helium

Abstract

Measurements of the plasma parameters of coaxial gridded hollow electrode alternating current (AC) discharge helium plasma were carried out using an improved probe diagnostic technology. The measurements were performed under well-defined discharge conditions (chamber geometry, input power, AC power frequency, and external electrical characteristics). The problems encountered in describing the characteristics of AC discharge in many probe diagnostic methods were addressed by using an improved probe diagnostics design. This design can also be applied to the measurement of plasma parameters in many kinds of plasma sources in which the probe potential fluctuates with the discharge current. Several parameters of the hollow electrode AC helium discharge plasma were measured, including the plasma density, electron temperature, plasma density profiles, and changes in plasma density at different input power values and helium pressures. The characteristics of the coaxial gridded hollow electrode plasma determined by the experiments are suitable for comparison with plasma simulations, and for use in many applications of hollow cathode plasma.

Diagnostics of a microhollow cathode discharge at atmospheric pressure

“…Since it was originally proposed by Langmuir, probe diagnostic technology has been steadily developing [16,17]. However, many problems still exist and need to be addressed.…”

Breakdown Initiation and Electrical Strength of a Vacuum Insulating System in the Environment of Selected Noble Gases at AC Voltage

“…Discharges of this type have been the subject of many publications in recent years. The analysis of glow plasma in noble gas environments, and in both DC and AC powered systems has appeared in [30][31][32][33][34], among others. The position described in this paper provides advanced methods for the analysis of this type of physical phenomena, so that the subsequent research work of the authors will also include phenomena of this type.…”

Dependence of plasma structure and propagation on microwave amplitude and frequency during breakdown of atmospheric pressure air

“…The numerical scheme based on the scattered-field finite-difference timedomain (FDTD) method is used to solve equations (1)-( 5) [27]. At atmospheric pressure, the plasma front is sharp, and a resolution of about m 3 m is necessary for the electron density in equation (5). The spatial step for equations (1)-( 4) is taken to be seven times larger than that for equation (5).…”

“…The gas breakdown driven by high-power microwaves has been studied extensively because of its applications in highpower microwave systems, material processing, rocket propulsion, medical treatment, and so on [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. Gas breakdown by microwave in the millimeter regime was paid more and more attention in recent years, due to the development of high-power millimeter wave radiation sources [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19].…”