The optical emission spectroscopy of pulsed and pulse- periodic discharges initiated with runaway electrons

We report on the results of measurements of an electron Te and a gas Tg temperatures as well as a reduced electric field strength E/N in the plasma of a high-voltage nanosecond discharge initiated with runaway electrons in a gap with a strongly nonuniform electric field distribution. The foregoing plasma parameters were determined with optical emission spectroscopy techniques. The possibility of using the method for determining Te and E/N in thermodynamically nonequilibrium plasma, which is based on a determination of a ratio of a peak intensities of the ionic (λ = 391.4 nm) and molecular N₂ (λ = 394 nm) nitrogen bands, is proved. To measure a gas temperature the optical emission spectroscopy technique based on the measurement of a relative radiation intensity of rotation structure of electronic-vibrational molecular transitions was used, as well. (paper)