Plasma series resonance (PSR) effect is well known in geometrically asymmetric capacitively couple radio frequency plasma. However, plasma series resonance effect in geometrically symmetric plasma has not been properly investigated. In this work, a theoretical approach is made to investigate the plasma series resonance effect and its influence on Ohmic and stochastic heating in geometrically symmetric discharge. Electrical asymmetry effect by means of dual frequency voltage waveform is applied to excite the plasma series resonance. The results show considerable variation in heating with phase difference between the voltage waveforms, which may be applicable in controlling the plasma parameters in such plasma.

A fast pulsed capillary discharge device has been developed and implemented. The device combines the features of a transient hollow cathode discharge with the inherent characteristics of the capillary discharge, to obtain VUV to XUV radiation with ns rise time. The discharge operates in a 0.8 mm inner diameter alumina capillary, at 10–30 kV applied voltage. On axis discharge initiation is assisted by electron beams, which are characteristic of the hollow cathode effect. A short, 5 ns full width at half maximum XUV pulse is produced in association with a ∼1 kA, 5 ns current pulse.

An investigation of ion beam emission from a low energy plasma focus (PF) device operating with methane is reported. Graphite collectors, operating in the bias ion collector mode, are used to estimate the energy spectrum and ion flux along the PF axis, using the time-of-flight technique. The ion beam signals are time correlated with the emission of soft x-ray pulses from the pinched focus plasma. The correlation of ion beam intensity with filling gas pressure indicates that the beam emission is maximized at the optimum pressure for focus formation at peak current. Ion beam energy correlations for operation in methane indicate that the dominant charge states in carbon ions are C+4 and C+5. The estimated maximum ion energy for H+, C+4 and C+5 are in the range of 200–400 keV, 400–600 keV and 900–1100 keV, respectively, whereas their densities are maximum for the energy range 60–100 keV, 150–250 keV and 350–450 keV, respectively. These results suggest that the ion beams are emitted from a high density, high temperature, short lived focus plasma, at a time which appears to precede the emission of soft x-ray pulses. The properties of the carbon ion beams are discussed in the context of potential applications in materials science.

The optical properties of hydrogen exposed palladium (Pd) and palladium oxide (PdO) thin films are calculated from reflectance and transmittance measurements in the visible and near infrared range (400–900nm). The time evolution of the films’ optical constants when exposed to hydrogen is shown. The real part of palladium’s refractive index increases about 5%, whereas the imaginary part decreases nearly 15% after hydrogen absorption. The Pd films’ resistance also increased upon hydrogen absorption, as expected. Pd oxide reduces to metallic palladium upon hydrogenation, showing a dramatic change in all the properties. The palladium films’ resistance initially decreases after a first exposure to 5Torr of hydrogen, and this is tentatively explained by the reaction of hydrogen with impurities trapped in the films.

Self-excited plasma series resonance is observed in low pressure capacitvely coupled radio frequency discharges as high-frequency oscillations superimposed on the normal radio frequency current. This high-frequency contribution to the radio frequency current is generated by a series resonance between the capacitive sheath and the inductive and resistive bulk plasma. In this report, we present an experimental method to measure the plasma series resonance in a capacitively coupled radio frequency argon plasma by modifying the homogeneous discharge model. The homogeneous discharge model is modified by introducing a correction factor to the plasma resistance. Plasma parameters are also calculated by considering the plasma series resonances effect. Experimental measurements show that the self-excitation of the plasma series resonance, which arises in capacitive discharge due to the nonlinear interaction of plasma bulk and sheath, significantly enhances both the Ohmic and stochastic heating. The experimentally measured total dissipation, which is the sum of the Ohmic and stochastic heating, is found to increase significantly with decreasing pressure.