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The Dual Mode Microwave Afterglow Apparatus for Measuring the Electron Temperature Dependence of the Electron‐Ion Recombination
Author(s) -
Mikuš O.,
Lukáč P.,
Morva I.,
Morvová M.,
Foltin V.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
contributions to plasma physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.531
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1521-3986
pISSN - 0863-1042
DOI - 10.1002/ctpp.200810055
Subject(s) - afterglow , ambipolar diffusion , atomic physics , microwave , electron , electron temperature , neon , ion , materials science , microwave cavity , plasma , electron density , physics , argon , gamma ray burst , quantum mechanics , astronomy
Three dual mode microwave apparatus (one using S ‐band and two using X ‐band) have been developed to determine ambipolar diffusion and electron‐ion recombination rates under conditions such that T gas = 300 K and T e is varied from 300 K to 6300 K, in the afterglow period of the dc glow discharge. The TM 010 cylindrical cavity (in S ‐band) and TM 011 open cylindrical cavity ( X ‐band) are used to determine the electron density during the afterglow period and a non‐resonant waveguide mode is used to apply a constant microwave heating field to the electrons. To test the properties of the apparatus the neon afterglow plasma has been investigated. At T e = 300 K a value of α ( Ne + 2 ) = (1.7 ± 0.2) × 10 –7 cm 3 / s is obtained which is in good agreement with values of other investigators. Also similar variations of α as T –0.4 e ( S ‐band) and as T –0.42 e ( X ‐band) obeyed over the range 300 ≤ Te ≤ 6300 K are in good agreement with some other previous measurements. The simplicity of the X‐band microwave apparatus also allows the measurements of the gas temperature dependency and the study of electron attachment and may be used simultaneously with optical or mass spectrometry investigations. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)