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Title: Model of a stationary microwave argon discharge at atmospheric pressure

Journal Article · · AIP Conference Proceedings
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2909134· OSTI ID:21136930
 [1]; ;  [2]
  1. Faculty of Physics, Sofia University, BG-1164 Sofia (Bulgaria)
  2. Department for Language Teaching and International Students, Sofia University, BG-1111 Sofia (Bulgaria)

The many applications of microwave gas discharges at atmospheric pressure in various fields of science, technology and medicine require an adequate model of these discharges. Such a model is based on the electromagnetic wave's propagation properties and on the elementary processes in the discharge bulk. In contrast to the microwave discharges at low-gas pressures, where many elementary processes might be ignored because of their negligible contribution to the electron and heavy particle's balance equations, for such discharges at atmospheric pressure the consideration of a large number of collisional processes is mandatory. For the build of a successful discharge-column model one needs three important quantities, notably the power {theta} necessary for sustaining an electron - ion pair, electron - neutral collision frequency for momentum transfer v{sub en}, and gas temperature T{sub g}. The first two key parameters are obtained by a collisional-radiative model of the argon at atmospheric pressure, while the microwave frequency {omega}/2{pi} = 2.45 GHz, plasma column radius R, gas pressure p and gas temperature T{sub g} are fixed external parameters determined by the experimental conditions. Here, we present a model of a capillary argon microwave plasma column with a length L {approx_equal} 14 cm, sustained by wave power of 110 W - the model yields the longitudinal distributions of the plasma density, expended wave power, wave electric field magnitude, and complex wave number.

OSTI ID:
21136930
Journal Information:
AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 993, Issue 1; Conference: PLASMA 2007: International conference on research and applications of plasmas; 4. German-Polish conference on plasma diagnostics for fusion and applications; 6. French-Polish seminar on thermal plasma in space and laboratory, Greifswald (Germany), 16-19 Oct 2007; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2909134; (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English