Laser optogalvanic and fluorescence studies of the cathode region of a glow discharge

Technical Report · Thu Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:6404441

Den Hartog, E A; Doughty, D A; Lawler, J E

Various laser diagnostics are used to study the cathode fall and negative-glow regions of a helium glow discharge with a cold aluminum cathode. The electric field and absolute metastable densities are mapped and the gas temperature is measured over a range of current densities from a near normal (173 V) to a highly abnormal (600 V) cathode fall. These measurements are analyzed to yield the current balance of the cathode surface, the ionization rate in the cathode-fall region, and the metastable production rate in the cathode-fall and negative-glow regions. The experimental results compare favorably with the results of Monte Carlo simulations. The density and temperature of the low-energy electron gas in the negative glow is determined by combining information from the experiments and Monte Carlo simulations.

• Research Organization: Wisconsin Univ., Madison (USA). Plasma Physics Research
• OSTI ID: 6404441
• Report Number(s): AD-A-203256/3/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640410* -- Fluid Physics-- General Fluid Dynamics
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
CATHODES
COLD CATHODE TUBES
DENSITY
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRODES
ELECTRON GAS
ELECTRON TUBES
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
GASES
GLOW DISCHARGES
HELIUM
IONIZATION
MONTE CARLO METHOD
NONMETALS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RARE GASES
SIMULATION
SURFACES