Metastable Helium Atom Creation Dynamics in High-Voltage Pulsed Discharge with Transverse Magnetic Field Effects

Abstract

In this work, we investigate the effect of an external transverse weak magnetic field on the creation of metastable helium atoms and excited helium molecules in a high-voltage pulsed discharge in helium at medium pressure. A two-dimensional fluid model is used to describe a high-voltage pulsed discharge in helium in the external transverse weak magnetic field. The dynamics of discharge development in the high-voltage pulsed discharge in helium at a pressure of 30 Torr in the presence and absence of the magnetic field is studied. The effect of the external magnetic field on the behavior of the density of charged particles, metastable helium atoms, and excited helium molecules in the high-voltage pulsed helium discharge has been investigated. It is shown that in the discharge region, the density of metastable atoms decreases when a transverse magnetic field is applied, which is a consequence of an increase in the frequency of stepwise ionization.