Thermocouple diagnostics in a nonequilibrium plasma

The potentialities are considered of the thermocouple diagnostic method for a low-temperature nonequilibrium plasma. Much attention is given to questions of interpretation of the results of thermocouple measurements. It is shown that the use of a single thermocouple is not possible without recourse to data obtained by independent methods. A method using two thermocouples is proposed to measure the gas temperature and investigate heterogeneous processes. Results are given of thermocouple measurements in a constant-current glow discharge nitrogen plasma