Study of the dark phase in the initial stage of the positive column formation in a neon glow discharge
- Troitsk Institute for Innovation and Thermonuclear Research (Russian Federation)
- St. Petersburg State University, Fock Research Institute of Physics (Russian Federation)
The initial stage of the positive column formation in a neon glow discharge is investigated both experimentally and theoretically. A decrease in the plasma radiation intensity (the so-called 'dark phase') was observed experimentally over a time period of about 1 ms. A similar dip was also observed in the time dependence of the electric field strength. The measured population of the lower metastable states of Ne was found to have a maximum at the beginning of the dark phase. A relevant theoretical model has been developed and used to perform calculations for the actual experimental conditions. A comparison between the numerical and experimental results shows that the model adequately describes the processes that occur during the formation of the positive column in a neon glow discharge. Experimental and theoretical studies show that the dark-phase effect is related to the excessive amount of metastable Ne atoms at the beginning of a discharge and, accordingly, to the high rates of stepwise ionization and chemionization.
- OSTI ID:
- 21080635
- Journal Information:
- Plasma Physics Reports, Vol. 32, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1134/S1063780X06020140; Copyright (c) 2006 Nauka/Interperiodica; Article Copyright (c) 2006 Pleiades Publishing, Inc; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1063-780X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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