Argon plasma contact ionization of alkali metal element

Abstract

The secondary ionization of lithium metal and lithium iodide by contact with an argon ECR plasma was studied. Lithium and argon ion densities in the lithium-argon mixture plasma were diagnosed by using double probes, a photospectrometer and a mass spectrometer. According to plasma diagnostics, the apparent ionization cross sections were ∼ 10 −16 m 2 for lithium metal and ∼ 10 −17 m 2 for lithium iodide. This ionization method produces a low-temperature plasma which would be appropriate for ion cyclotron resonance isotope separation.

Zinc ionization by interaction with argon plasma

“…The reaction (5) may have the most important role in this experimental system where the density n Ar * is higher than n Ar + or n e . Ionization enhancements by the argon metastable state are reported in other works [11]. In this work, total reaction rate can be evaluated in the following manner: the generated density of zinc ion n Zn + is given as…”

“…However, the surface ionization is not sufficiently effective for the elements with high ionization potential. To produce the low-ion-temperature plasmas of the metal elements with high ionization potential, the secondary-ionization method by contact with a primary plasma may be appropriate [9][10][11].…”