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In this, we describe some notable aspects of the light emission and afterglow properties in pulsed, high-density (10¹⁸–10²⁰ m^-3) argon inductively coupled discharges initiated following fast gas injection. The plasma was created in a long, narrow discharge tube and then expanded downstream of the radiofrequency (RF) antenna into a large chamber. Fast camera images of the expanding plasma revealed a multi-phase time-dependent emission pattern that did not follow the ion density distribution. Dramatic differences in visible brightness were observed between discharges with and without an externally applied magnetic field. These phenomena were studied by tracking excited state populations using passivemore » emission spectroscopy and are discussed in terms of the distinction between ionizing and recombining phase plasmas. Additionally, a method is presented for inferring the unknown neutral gas pressure in the discharge tube from the time-dependent visible and infrared emission measured by a simple photodiode placed near the antenna. In magnetized discharges created with fast gas injection, the downstream ion density rose by Δn_i ~ 10¹⁸ m^-3 in the first ~100 μs after the RF power was turned off. The conditions conducive to this afterglow density rise are investigated in detail, and the effect is tentatively attributed to pooling ionization.« less

A time-dependent two-fluid model has been developed to understand axial variations in the plasma parameters in a very high density (peak n_e~ > 5x10¹⁹ m^–3) argon inductively coupled discharge in a long 1.1 cm radius tube. The model equations are written in 1D, with radial losses to the tube walls accounted for by the inclusion of effective particle and energy sink terms. The ambipolar diffusion equation and electron energy equation are solved to find the electron density n_e(z,t) and temperature T_e(z,t), and the populations of the neutral argon 4s metastable, 4s resonant, and 4p excited state manifolds are calculated inmore » order to determine the stepwise ionization rate and calculate radiative energy losses. The model has been validated through comparisons with Langmuir probe ion saturation current measurements; close agreement between the simulated and measured axial plasma density profiles and the initial density rise rate at each location was obtained at p_Ar = 30-60 mTorr. Lastly, we present detailed results from calculations at 60 mTorr, including the time-dependent electron temperature, excited state populations, and energy budget within and downstream of the radiofrequency (RF) antenna.« less