Estimating the number density and energy distribution of electrons in a cold atmospheric plasma using optical emission spectroscopy

Anand, Venu and Nair, Aswathi and Nagendirakumar, Anbuselvan Karur Karunapathy and Gowravaram, Mohan Rao (2018) Estimating the number density and energy distribution of electrons in a cold atmospheric plasma using optical emission spectroscopy. In: JOURNAL OF VACUUM SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY A, 36 (4).

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Abstract

Cold atmospheric plasmas are generous sources of chemically active species, the reaction rates which can be predicted only if the electron number density and the electron energy distribution function are known. Here, the authors present a procedure for estimating both these parameters from the optical emission spectrum of an argon plasma. The peaks in the spectrum were curve fitted with Voigt profiles, and their widths and areas were mapped to the number density and energy distribution of electrons in the plasma, using the mathematical models for Stark broadening and Corona population, respectively. These plasma parameters were optimized to establish a good match between the simulated and the experimental peak attributes. This analysis estimated the value of the electron number density to be approximately 1.5 x 10(15) cm(-3) and the mean electron temperature to be approximately 0.37 eV in their plasma. It also predicted that the energy distribution of electrons can be closely approximated using a Maxwellian distribution. Published by the AVS.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	JOURNAL OF VACUUM SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY A
Publisher:	A V S AMER INST PHYSICS, STE 1 NO 1, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4502 USA
Additional Information:	Copyright of this article belong to A V S AMER INST PHYSICS, STE 1 NO 1, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4502 USA
Department/Centre:	Division of Mechanical Sciences > Aerospace Engineering(Formerly Aeronautical Engineering) Division of Physical & Mathematical Sciences > Instrumentation Appiled Physics
Date Deposited:	01 Aug 2018 15:22
Last Modified:	01 Aug 2018 15:22
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/60344

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