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Vibrational Population of Hydrogen Molecules Excited by an RF Discharge in an Expanding Thermal Arc Plasma as Determined by Emission Spectroscopy
Author(s) -
Otorbaev D. K.,
de Graaf M. J.,
van de Sanden M. C. M.,
Schram D. C.
Publication year - 1995
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.2150350303
Subject(s) - excited state , atomic physics , ground state , plasma , population , materials science , molecule , excitation , emission spectrum , hydrogen , vibrational temperature , spectral line , spectroscopy , physics , demography , quantum mechanics , astronomy , sociology
This work is devoted to the determination of the vibrational population of hydrogen molecules in the ground and excited electronic states from the analysis of visible spectra of the H 2 molecules excited by an RF discharge in an expanding thermal arc plasma. Comparison of the experimental results on relative electron‐impact excitation cross sections for the transition H 2 (X 1 Σ g + , υ 0 = 0)→ H 2 ( d 3 II u , υ′) with other experiments, and with calculations based on the Franck‐Condon principle, shows good agreement. This means, that for plasma under investigation: 1) in the ground electronic state H 2 (d 3 II u ,υ′), only the lowest vibrational level with υ 0 = 0 is significantly populated, and 2) direct electron exictation of H 2 ( d 3 II u , υ′, υ′) state from the ground state H 2 (X 1 Σ g + , υ 0 = 0) dominates.