Gas temperature and electron density profiles in an argon dc microdischarge measured by optical emission spectroscopy
Résumé
Optical emisssion spectroscopy was employed to study a high pressure (100 s of Torr), slot-type (600 μm interelectrode gap), argon dc microdischarge, with added traces of nitrogen. Spatially resolved gas temperature profiles were obtained by analyzing rovibrational bands of the N2 first positive system. The gas temperature peaked near the cathode and increased with current. The contribution of Stark broadening to the hydrogen Hβ emission lineshape was used to extract the electron density. The axial distribution of electron density as well as visual observation revealed that the microdischarge positive column was highly constricted. The electron density near the sheath edge increased with both pressure and current.
Mots clés
argon
discharges (electric)
nitrogen
plasma boundary layers
plasma density
plasma diagnostics
plasma temperature
positive column
spectral line broadening
Stark effect
Optical measurements
Emission absorption and scattering of electromagnetic radiation
Plasma-material interactions
boundary layer effects
Plasma sheaths
Electric discharges