Decay of the electron number density in the nitrogen afterglow using a hairpin resonator probe
- Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio 45433 (United States)
A hairpin resonator was used to measure the electron number density in the afterglow of a nitrogen glow discharge (p=0.25-0.75 Torr). Electron number densities were measured using a time-dependent approach similar to the approach used by Spencer et al. [J. Phys. D 20, 923 (1987)]. The decay time of the electron number density was used to determine the electron temperature in the afterglow, assuming a loss of electrons via ambipolar diffusion to the walls. The electron temperature in the near afterglow remained between 0.4 and 0.6 eV, depending on pressure. This confirms the work by Guerra et al. [IEEE Trans. Plasma. Sci. 31, 542 (2003)], who demonstrated experimentally and numerically that the electron temperature stays significantly above room temperature via superelastic collisions with highly vibrationally excited ground state molecules and metastables, such as A {sup 3}{sigma}{sub u}{sup +}.
- OSTI ID:
- 20880005
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 100; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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