In this work Abel inversion technique was used for radial measurements of the microplasma in Ar-2%H2 flow at open atmosphere. The gas discharge parameters were investigated using spatially resolved high resolution optical emission spectroscopy (OES) to allow acquisition of OH (A 2Σ+, ν = 0 →X 2Π, ν′ = 0) rotational bands at 306.357 nm, Ar I 603.213 nm line and N2(C3∏u, ν = 0 →B3∏g, ν′ = 0) second positive system with the band head at 337.13 nm. The nonthermal plasma was generated between microhollow anode (~500 μm inner diameter) and a cathode copper foil, fed by direct current source for a current ranging from 20 mA to 100 mA (Townsend discharge from 20 mA to 30 mA, normal glow discharge from 30 mA to 80 mA at 210 V and abnormal discharge beyond 90 mA). The 1.5 mm length cylindrical-shape plasma has an outspread bright disk (negative glow region) near the cathode surface. Besides the gas temperature, the excitation temperature was measured radially for a current ranging from 20 mA to 100 mA, either from Boltzmann-plot of Ar I 4p – 4s and 5p – 4s transitions of excited argon or from Cu I two lines method of excited cuprum atoms released from the cathode surface. The measurements showed a nearly bell-shaped distribution of these temperatures, peaked at 120 μm from the center with the minimum at the plasma border. The average excitation temperature was about ~8000 K (maximum ~10,000 K) and the average rotational temperature was about 650 K (maximum ~800 K) from 20 K to 100 K. For the N2 second positive system with Δν = -2 it was estimated the vibrational temperature for the bright disk (1500 K to 5000 K). Hβ line Stark broadening was employed to define the electron number density of the negative glow (1015 cm -3).
Microdischarges at moderate to high pressure in argon were investigated. A hole opening diameter of 500 µm direct current (dc) microhollow cathode discharges (MHCD) were characterized by electrical measurements and optical emission spectroscopy (OES) for pressures ranging between 90 and 800 Torr and current from 5 to 20 mA. Current-voltage characteristic curves were obtained as a function of the pressure for this hole diameter. MHCD enables stable dc discharges for molybdenum electrodes material at constant Ar + 2%H 2 flow of 0.03 /min. Optical emission spectroscopy and analysis of the spectral line broadening of plasma line emissions were performed in order to measure gas discharge parameters. Electron number densities were obtained from H β Balmer line (∼ 10 14 cm −3 ). For the above mentioned discharge conditions, gas temperature was estimated to be 550 -850 K from OH rotational bands. Excitation temperature was measured based on two lines method (from atomic Mo lines) and from 4p -4s and 5p -4s Ar radiative transitions. Hydrogen atom temperature was measured for 800 Torr (∼ 12000 K).
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