中国物理B ›› 2003, Vol. 12 ›› Issue (5): 495-501.doi: 10.1088/1009-1963/12/5/306

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Effects of discharge current and voltage on the high density of metastable helium atoms

冯贤平1, T Oda2, K Takiyama3, S Namba3, D Andruczyk4, B W James4   

  1. (1)Department of Physics, Donghua University, Shanghai 200051, China; (2)Faculty of Engineering, Hiroshima Kokusai Gakuin University, Hiroshima 739-0321, Japan; (3)Graduate School of Engineering, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan; (4)School of Physics, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
  • 收稿日期:2002-05-19 修回日期:2003-01-03 出版日期:2003-05-16 发布日期:2005-03-16
  • 基金资助:
    Project supported by the Australian Research Council, Donghua University and Shanghai Science and Technological Research Council (Grant No 0252nm110).

Effects of discharge current and voltage on the high density of metastable helium atoms

Feng Xian-Ping (冯贤平)a, D Andruczykb, B W Jamesb, K Takiyamac, S Nambac, T Odad    

  1. a Department of Physics, Donghua University, Shanghai 200051, China; b School of Physics, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; c Graduate School of Engineering, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan; d Faculty of Engineering, Hiroshima Kokusai Gakuin University, Hiroshima 739-0321, Japan
  • Received:2002-05-19 Revised:2003-01-03 Online:2003-05-16 Published:2005-03-16
  • Supported by:
    Project supported by the Australian Research Council, Donghua University and Shanghai Science and Technological Research Council (Grant No 0252nm110).

摘要: Both hollow-cathode and Penning-type discharges were adopted to excite helium atoms to a metastable state. Experimental data indicate that Penning discharge is more suitable for generating high fractions of metastables in a low-density helium beam for laser-induced fluorescence technique in measuring electric fields at the edge of a plasma. The metastable density increases with increasing helium gas pressure in the range of 1.33×10^{-2}-66.7Pa. The highest metastable density of 3.8×10^{16}m^{-3} is observed at a static gas pressure of 66.7Pa. An approximately linear relationship between the density of metastable helium atoms and the plasma discharge current is observed. Magnetic field plays a very important role in producing a high density of metastable atoms in Penning discharge.

Abstract: Both hollow-cathode and Penning-type discharges were adopted to excite helium atoms to a metastable state. Experimental data indicate that Penning discharge is more suitable for generating high fractions of metastables in a low-density helium beam for laser-induced fluorescence technique in measuring electric fields at the edge of a plasma. The metastable density increases with increasing helium gas pressure in the range of 1.33×10-2-66.7Pa. The highest metastable density of 3.8×1016m-3 is observed at a static gas pressure of 66.7Pa. An approximately linear relationship between the density of metastable helium atoms and the plasma discharge current is observed. Magnetic field plays a very important role in producing a high density of metastable atoms in Penning discharge.

Key words: Penning discharge, hollow-cathode discharge, metastable atoms, electric field

中图分类号:  (Magnetoactive discharges (e.g., Penning discharges))

  • 52.80.Sm
52.25.Os (Emission, absorption, and scattering of electromagnetic radiation ?)