Comparison of atmospheric-pressure helium and argon plasmas generated by capacitively coupled radio-frequency discharge

Journal Article · Fri Sep 15 04:00:00 EDT 2006 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2355428· OSTI ID:20860266

Li, S -Z; Lim, J -P; Kang, Jung G; Uhm, Han S ^[1]

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1. State Key Laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion and Electron Beams and Department of Physics, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China)

In this paper, the electrical discharge characteristics of plasmas generated in coaxial cylindrical electrodes capacitively powered by a radio-frequency power supply at atmospheric pressure are investigated with respect to helium and argon gases. The electrical discharge parameters, voltage (V), current (I), and power (P), are measured for both helium and argon plasmas, and the electron temperatures and electron densities for them are evaluated by means of the equivalent circuit model and the power balance equation. By comparison of the discharge characteristics of the helium and argon plasmas, it is found that the discrepant macroscopic characteristics of helium and argon plasma, viz., current and voltage characteristics and current and power characteristics, are owed to their own intrinsic microscopic parameters of the helium and argon atoms, such as the first excited energy, the ionization energy, the total cross section, and the atom mass. Furthermore, the influences of the additive gas, oxygen gas, on the electrical discharge characteristics are also investigated in the helium and argon plasmas, which are closely related to the electron temperature of plasmas.

• OSTI ID: 20860266
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 13; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ARGON
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
ATOMS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CURRENTS
CYLINDRICAL CONFIGURATION
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTRODES
ELECTRON DENSITY
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
EQUIVALENT CIRCUITS
HELIUM
HIGH-FREQUENCY DISCHARGES
ION TEMPERATURE
IONIZATION
OXYGEN
PLASMA
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
RADIATION TRANSPORT
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
TOTAL CROSS SECTIONS