The cathode-fall of low-pressure hydrogen discharges: Absolute spectral emission and model
- JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0440 (United States)
Absolute excitation probabilities from very low to moderate-current hydrogen discharges in parallel-plane geometry are measured and used to test models. Relative emission data are obtained for the H{sub {alpha}} line, the H{sub 2} (a{sup 3}{Sigma}{yields}b{sup 3}{Pi}) near-UV continuum, and the H{sub 2} (G{sup 1}{Sigma}{yields}B{sup 1}{Pi}{sub u}{sup +}) band at pressures of 0.5 and 2 Torr, a 1.05 cm gap, and voltages from 300 to 900 V. Electron behavior is traced using the first negative (A{sup 2}{Sigma}{sub g}{yields} X{sup 2}{Pi}{sub u}, {nu}'' = 0 {yields}{nu}' = 0) band of N{sub 2}{sup +} by adding 2% N{sub 2}. Relative measurements of H{sub {alpha}}, H{sub 2} near-UV, and N{sub 2} 1st negative emission are placed on a absolute scale by normalization to published measurements and Boltzmann calculations of electron excitation. Emission probabilities calculated using a multi-beam kinetics model for the electrons, H{sup +}, H{sub 2}{sup +}, H{sub 3}{sup +}, H{sup -}, H, and H{sub 2} are compared with the calibrated experiments. Fast H atoms are calculated to produce H{sub {alpha}} excitation that is comparable with that of electrons. The calculated emission intensities for H{sub {alpha}} and H{sub 2} near-UV continuum are within a factor of three of the absolute measurements for a range of 5000:1 in current and 4:1 in hydrogen pressure. Calculations at 2 Torr show that most of the space charge electric field responsible for the cathode fall is produced by H{sub 3}{sup +} ions.
- OSTI ID:
- 22046995
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 18, Issue 10; Other Information: (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
BOLTZMANN EQUATION
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTRONS
EMISSION
EXCITATION
GLOW DISCHARGES
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN IONS 1 MINUS
HYDROGEN IONS 1 PLUS
HYDROGEN IONS 2 PLUS
HYDROGEN IONS 3 PLUS
PLASMA
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
PLASMA SIMULATION
SPACE CHARGE
ULTRAVIOLET SPECTRA