Spectroscopic diagnostics of pulsed arc plasmas for particle generation

Pulsed arc plasmas were diagnosed by means of emission spectroscopy. A capacitor was discharged through argon and hydrogen leading to a few cycles of damped current oscillation with ∼120 μs period and 5-12 kA maximum current. Spectroscopic measurements in the visible range were carried out in order to characterise the electron temperature and density in the arc channel as well as electron and gas temperatures in the afterglow plasmas. Spectra were integrated over 10 μs time windows and shifted in time from pulse to pulse. The plasmas also contained substantial fractions of electrode material (brass), namely copper and zinc. The electron density was measured in the conventional way from the broadening of Hβ or from the Ar I Stark width. In the arc channel, it ranged from about 3.1022 to 2.1023 m-3. The broadening of Zn II lines could also be used. Ratios of Ar I to Ar II and of Zn I to Zn II line intensities were analysed for the electron temperature. Line pairs were found which lay conveniently close in one frame of the spectrometer allowing automatic on-line analysis without relying on reproducibility. Atomic physics models including opacity were developed for Ar II and Zn II in order to check the existence of a Boltzmann distribution of their excited states. These calculations showed that the observed levels were in fact close to thermodynamic equilibrium, in particular, if the resonance lines were optically thick. Electron temperature measurements yielded values between 14000 K and 21000 K. The gas temperature in the afterglow, where particles should have formed, was derived from the rotational and vibrational temperatures of C2 molecular bands. Ratios between Cu I line intensities yielded the electron temperatures. Both were found to be a few 1000 K. (copyright 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)