Suppression of a spontaneous dust density wave by modulation of ion streaming

Synchronization of a self-excited dust density wave has been experimentally investigated in a strongly coupled dusty plasma. A dust density wave of frequency ~78 Hz is spontaneously generated from the dust void boundary due to the ion streaming instability. The electric field in the dust void region is measured, and the electric field force and ion drag force on the dust particles at the void boundary are estimated to explain the mechanism of spontaneous dust density wave excitation. Synchronization occurring through the suppression mechanism is observed by modulating the ion streaming by applying an external sinusoidal signal to the dust void. At sufficiently high modulation amplitude, the onset of period-doubling bifurcation is observed. Fast Fourier transform spectral analysis is done using time-series data obtained from high-speed video imaging. The van der Pol equation with a force term is used to correlate the observed suppression phenomena.     

Comparison of double layer in argon helicon plasma and magnetized DC discharge plasma

We present in this paper the comparison of an electric double layer (DL) in argon helicon plasma and magnetized direct current (DC) discharge plasma. DL in high-density argon helicon plasma of 13.56 MHz RF discharge was investigated experimentally by a floating electrostatic probe and local optical emission spectroscopy (LOES). The DL characteristics at different operating parameters, including RF power (300–1500 W), tube diameter (8–60 mm), and external magnetic field (0–300 G), were measured. For comparison, DL in magnetized plasma channel of a DC discharge under different conditions was also measured experimentally. The results show that in both cases, DL appears in a divergent magnetic field where the magnetic field gradient is the largest and when the plasma density is sufficiently high. DL strength (or potential drop of DL) increases with the magnetic field in two different structures. It is suggested that the electric DL should be a common phenomenon in dense plasma under a gradient external magnetic field. DL in magnetized plasmas can be controlled properly by magnetic field structure and discharge mode (hence the plasma density).     

The effect of the direct current electric field on the dynamics of the ultracold plasma

We created an ultracold plasma by photoionizing the laser-cooled and trapped rubidium atoms in a magneto-optical trap.In the externally applied direct current (DC) electric field environment,the electrons which escape from the potential well of the ultracold plasma were detected for different numbers of the ions and initial kinetic energies of the electrons.The results are in good agreement with the calculations,based on the Coulomb potential well model,indicating that the external DC field is an effective tool to adjust the depth of potential well of the plasma,and it is possible to create an ultracold plasma in a controlled manner.     

Estimation of the Lyman-α signal of the EFILE diagnostic under static or radiofrequency electric field in vacuum

The electric field induced Lyman-α emission diagnostic aims to provide a non intrusive and precise measurement of the electric field in plasma, using a beam of hydrogen atoms prepared in the metastable 2 s state. The metastable particles are obtained by means of a proton beam extracted from a hydrogen plasma source, and neutralised by interaction with vaporised caesium.When a 2 s atom enters a region where an electric field is present, it undergoes a transition to the2 p state(Stark mixing). It then quickly decays to the ground level, emitting Lyman-α radiation,which is collected by a photomultiplier. The 2 s→2 p transition rate is proportional to the square of the magnitude of the electric field, and depends on the field oscillation frequency(with peaks around 1 GHz). By measuring the intensity of the Lyman-α radiation emitted by the beam it is possible to determine the magnitude of the field in a defined region. In this work, an analysis of the behaviour of the diagnostic under static or radiofrequency electric field is presented. Electric field simulations obtained with a finite element solver of Maxwell equations, combined with theoretical calculations of the Stark mixing transition rate, are used to develop a model for the interpretation of photomultiplier data. This method shows good agreement with experimental results for the static field case, and allows to measure the field magnitude for the oscillating case.     

Upper Hybrid Resonance of Microwaves with a Large Magnetized Plasma Sheet

A large magnetized plasma sheet with size of 60 cmx60 cmx2 cm was generated by a linear hollow cathode discharge under the confinement of a uniform magnetic field generated by a Helmholtz Coil.The microwave transmission characteristic of the plasma sheet was measured for different incident frequencies,in cases with the electric field polarization of the incident microwave either perpendicular or parallel to the magnetic field.In this measurement,parameters of the plasma sheet were changed by varying the discharge current and magnetic field intensity.In the experiment,upper hybrid resonance phenomena were observed when the electric field polarization of the incident wave was perpendicular to the magnetic field.These resonance phenomena cannot be found in the case of parallel polarization incidence.This result is consistent with theoretical consideration.According to the resonance condition,the electron density values at the resonance points are calculated under various experimental conditions.This kind of resonance phenomena can be used to develop a specific method to diagnose the electron density of this magnetized plasma sheet apparatus.Moreover,it is pointed out that the operating parameters of the large plasma sheet in practical applications should be selected to keep away from the upper hybrid resonance point to prevent signals from polarization distortion.     

Dependence of plasma structure and propagation on microwave amplitude and frequency during breakdown of atmospheric pressure air

The structure and propagation of the plasma in air breakdown driven by high-power microwave have attracted great interest. This paper focuses on the microwave amplitude and frequency dependence of plasma formation at atmospheric pressure using one two-dimensional model,which is based on Maxwell's equations coupled with plasma fluid equations. In this model, we adopt the effective electron diffusion coefficient, which can describe well the change from free diffusion in a plasma front to ambipolar diffusion in the bulk plasma. The filamentary plasma arrays observed in experiments are well reproduced in the simulations. The density and propagation speed of the plasma from the simulations are also close to the corresponding experimental data. The size of plasma filament parallel to the electric field decreases with increasing frequency, and it increases with the electric field amplitude. The distance between adjacent plasma filaments is close to one-quarter wavelength under different frequencies and amplitudes. The plasma propagation speed shows little change with the frequency, and it increases with the amplitude. The variations of plasma structure and propagation with the amplitude and frequency are due to the change in the distribution of the electric field.     

Response of the low-pressure hot-filament discharge plasma to a positively biased auxiliary disk electrode

In a steady-state plasma, the loss rate of plasma particles to the chamber wall and surfaces in contact with plasma is balanced by the ionization rate of background neutrals in the hot-filament discharges. The balance between the loss rate and ionization rate of plasma particles (electrons and ions) maintains quasi-neutrality of the bulk plasma. In the presence of an external perturbation, it tries to retain its quasi-neutrality condition. In this work, we studied how the properties of bulk plasma are affected by an external DC potential perturbation. An auxiliary biased metal disk electrode was used to introduce a potential perturbation to the plasma medium. A single Langmuir probe and an emissive probe, placed in the line of the discharge axis, were used for the characterization of the bulk plasma. It is observed that only positive bias to the auxiliary metal disk increases the plasma potential, electron temperature, and plasma density but these plasma parameters remain unaltered when the disk is biased with a negative potential with respect to plasma potential. The observed plasma parameters for two different-sized, positively as well as negatively biased, metal disks are compared and found inconsistent with the existing theoretical model at large positive bias voltages. The role of the primary energetic electrons population in determining the plasma parameters is discussed. The experimentally observed results are qualitatively explained on the basis of electrostatic confinement arising due to the loss of electrons to a biased metal disk electrode.     

Mechanisms of Streamer Propagation Affected by Driven Voltage Polarity in a Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet

A two-dimensional self-consistent fluid model is used to investigate the effects of DC-voltage polarity in plasma initiation and propagation of helium plasma jet.The simulation results indicate that the difference in initial breakdown for the positive jet and negative jet leads to a difference in the electron density of about 4 orders of magnitude,even with the same initial electric field,which also influences the subsequent propagation.In the propagation process of negative jets,the ionization process exists in a longer gas channel behind the streamer head.In addition,the drift process to the infinite grounded electrode driven by the electric field results in higher energy consumption in the ionization process.However,in the positive jet,the ionization process mainly exists in the streamer head.Therefore,the differences in the initial breakdown and propagation process make the electric field intensity and the ionization weaker in the streamer head of the negative jet,which explains the weaker and shorter appearance of the negative jet compared to the positive jet.Our model can adequately reproduce the experimental results,viz.a bullet-like propagation in the positive jet and a continuous plasma plume in the negative jet.Furthermore,it also indicates that the streamer velocity shows the same variations as the electron drift velocity for both positive and negative jets.     

Investigation of stimulated Raman scattering in longitudinal magnetized plasma by theory and kinetic simulation

Stimulated Raman scattering(SRS)in a longitudinal magnetized plasma is studied by theoretical analysis and kinetic simulation.The linear growth rate derived via one-dimensional fluid theory shows the dependence on the plasma density,electron temperature,and magnetic field intensity.One-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations are carried out to examine the kinetic evolution of SRS under low magnetic intensity of ωc/ω0＜0.01.There are two density regions distinguished in which the absolute growth of enveloped electrostatic waves and spectrum present quite different characteristics.In a relatively low-density plasma(ne～0.20nc),the plasma wave presents typical absolute growth and the magnetic field alleviates linear SRS.While in the plasma whose density is near the cut-off point(ne～0.23nc),the magnetic field induces a spectral splitting of the backscattering and forward-scattering waves.It has been observed in simulations and verified by theoretical analysis.Due to this effect,the onset of reflectivity delays,and the plasma waves form high-frequency oscillation and periodic envelope structure.The split wavenumber Δk/k0 is proportional to the magnetic field intensity and plasma density.These studies provide novel insight into the kinetic behavior of SRS in magnetized plasmas.     

Exploration of a MgO cathode for improving the intensity of pulsed discharge plasma at atmosphere

With regard to the lower density and energy of electrons in pulsed discharge plasma (PDP) at atmosphere, leading to the lower energy utilization of plasma, we propose a MgO cathode to enhance the plasma intensity according to field emission principle. The MgO cathode is prepared by an electro-depositing MgO film on a stainless steel plate. This way, the positive charges come to the cathode and accumulate on the surface of the MgO film, leading to the enhancement of the electric field intensity between the cathode and MgO film, and result in the strong emission of secondary electrons from the MgO cathode. As a result, the intensity of plasma can be enhanced. Herein, the effect of the MgO cathode on the intensity of PDP is investigated. It was shown that the discharge peak current was improved by 20% compared with that of without the MgO cathode. With increasing the MgO film thickness, discharge intensity, including the peak current, transforming charge and spectrum intensity first increased and then decreased. Higher enhancement of peak current, transforming charge and spectrum intensity were acquired with a higher peak voltage. Compared to a cathode without MgO film, the ozone production is higher with MgO cathode employed. The research proposes a novel approach for improving the intensity of discharge plasma, and also provides a reference for further application of PDP.     

The impact of cold atmospheric pressure plasma jet on seed germination and seedlings growth of fenugreek(Trigonella foenum-graecum)

The effects of cold atmospheric-pressure plasma jet(CAPPJ) were investigated on germination and early seedling growth of fenugreek(Trigonella foenum-graecum L) seeds.A two-electrode argon CAPPJ system with and without an additional grounded electrode [accelerating grounded(AG) electrode] was used at different exposure times.After 16 h of observation,the germination rates increased by 4 and 7 times,without and with using an AG electrode,respectively,for 1 min of plasma exposure.An increase in shoot fresh weight was observed,especially at 10 min exposure time.A high dry weight of root and shoot at 1 min-AG exposure time was observed.The root:shoot ratio was lower in plasma-treated seedlings,compared with the control plants.The study found that the O-radical emission line(777.4 nm) enhanced 5 times,due to the presence of an AG electrode,which increased the axial electric field and led to the formation of more streamers.The three stated effects(O-radicals,enhancement of the electric field and streamers) could be the cause for the stimulation of seed germination and seedling growth parameters when using the CAPPJ.The scanning electron microscope images showed the etching of the seed surface layers,which was more pronounced when an AG electrode was applied.The results of the current study indicate that the germination rates increased due to the increase of O-radical concentration and the etching of the seed surfaces.     

Experimental investigation on plasma jet deflection with magnetic fluid control based on PIV measurement

This paper is devoted to experimentally investigating the influence of magnetic field intensity and gas temperature on the plasma jet deflection controlled by magneto hydrodynamics. The catalytic ionization seed CS_2CO_3 is injected into combustion gas by artificial forced ionization to obtain plasma fluid on a high-temperature magnetic fluid experimental platform. The plasma jet was deflected under the effect of an external magnetic field, forming a thrust-vector effect.Magnesium oxide was selected as a tracer particle, and a two-dimensional image of the jet flow field was collected using the particle image velocimetry(PIV) measurement method. Through image processing and velocity vector analysis of the flow field, the value of the jet deflection angle was obtained quantitatively to evaluate the thrust-vector effect. The variation of the jet deflection angle with the magnetic field intensity and gas temperature was studied under different experimental conditions. Experimental results show that the jet deflection angle increased gradually with a rise in gas temperature and then increased substantially when the gas temperature exceeded 2300 K. The jet deflection angle also increased with an increase in magnetic induction intensity. Experiments demonstrate it is feasible to use PIV test technology to study the thrust vector under magnetic control conditions.     

The effect of an external electric field on radiation transmission and Compton scattering in plexiglass

The effect of an external electric field on radiation transmission of a plexiglass sample has been studied by using an extremely narrow-collimated-beam transmission method. Also, the photon scattering properties of the charge centers have been determined by changing the charge density distributions of the plexiglass sample with an external electric field having an intensity in the range 0-1000 V/cm. The plexiglass sample was bombarded by 59.5 keV gamma rays emitted from an Am-241 point source. The transmitted and Compton scattered photons were detected by a Si(Li) detector. Appreciable variations were observed in the transmission factors of the plexiglass sample as a function of applied field. The results show that the electrical properties of the plexiglass sample changes with the applied electric field and the gamma ray irradiations although it is a dielectric material. Furthermore, the negatively charged scattering centers are slightly more effective than the positively charged scattering centers in the Compton scattering of gamma rays from an insulator sample, similar to result found for conductor and semiconductors.     

Best Magnetic Condition to Generate Hollow Cathode Glow Plasma in High Vacuum简

Based on magnetron hollow cathode discharge, the magnetic condition of glow plasma generation in high vacuum, including both direction and magnitude of the applied mag- netic field, is theoretically derived and experimentally evaluated in this paper. Single particle orbital theory is introduced to discuss the possibilities to generate glow plasma at gas pressure under 10-2 Pa when the magnetic field direction is parallel or perpendicular or oblique to the electric field direction. A quantitative estimation criterion of magnetic induction intensity is also proposed in theory. The comparison with experiments suggests that glow plasma in high vacuum will form more easily in oblique magnetic field condition and that the criterion is accurate enough to estimate magnetic induction intensity at a certain gas pressure.     

Deflection of a liquid metal jet/drop in a tokamak environment

The interaction of a liquid gallium jet with plasma has been investigated in the ISTTOK tokamak. The jet was observed to remain intact during its interaction with plasma, within a certain length beyond which drop formation was observed. Significant deflection of the jet was detected as soon as plasma production was started. Furthermore, a strong dependency of the deflection magnitude on plasma position was observed that could be correlated with plasma potential gradients. As a means to capture and, possibly, quantify this effect, a preliminary magnetohydrodynamic analysis was performed in order to predict the trajectory of a jet that is traveling inside an electromagnetic field. The effect of Lorentz forces, gravity and pressure drop are accounted for in a unidirectional model that assumes a small jet radius in comparison with the trajectory length. The effect of external electric potential gradients on jet deflection was ascertained in conjunction with the importance of electric stresses in modulating the jet speed and radius. Analysis of the results reported in the ISTTOK experiments identifies the process of jet break-up as a capillary instability. The trajectory of the ensuing droplets is modeled and intensification of the deflection process is predicted in the presence of Lorentz forces.     

Modification of exposure conditions by the magnetic field configuration in helicon antenna-excited helium plasma

Modification of exposure conditions downstream in the diffusion chamber has been performed in helicon antenna-excited helium plasma by adjusting the magnetic field(intensity and geometry).In the inductively coupled mode(H mode), a reduction in ion and heat fluxes is found with increasing magnetic field intensity, which is further explained by the more highly magnetized ions off-axis around the last magnetic field lines(LMFL). However, in helicon wave mode(W mode), the increase in magnetic field intensity can dramatically increase the ion and heat fluxes.Moreover, the effect of LMFL geometry on exposure conditions is investigated. In H mode with contracting LMFL, off-axis peaks of both plasma density and electron temperature profiles shift radially inwards, bringing about a beam with better radial uniformity and higher ion and heat fluxes. In W mode, although higher ion and heat fluxes can be achieved with suppressed plasma cross-field diffusion under converging LMFL, the poor radial uniformity and a small beam diameter will limit the size of samples suitable for plasma irradiation experiments.     

Study of generation characteristics of glow-type atmospheric-pressure plasma jet based on DC discharge in air

In order to form an atmospheric-pressure plasma jet without airflow, a needle–ring electrode structure is proposed in this paper. When heteropolar potentials are applied to a needle and a ring, a marked electric field strength enhancement around the needle's pointed end has been found. When the same potential is applied to both the needle and the ring, the lateral electric field strength for the needle can be weakened. By using the above two methods, an increase of the difference between the pointed end electric field strength and the lateral one is achieved and stable plasma jets are formed. A symmetrical space electric field distribution is established at the pointed end of the needles when several sets of heteropolar needle–ring electrodes are uniformly arranged, which is conducive to forming a uniform array plasma jet. Under DC discharge conditions, a safe and stable plasma jet of high density and an array plasma jet are successfully achieved.     

Modelling effect of magnetic field on material removal in dry electrical discharge machining

One of the reasons for increased material removal rate in magnetic field assisted dry electrical discharge machining(EDM) is confinement of plasma due to Lorentz forces.This paper presents a mathematical model to evaluate the effect of external magnetic field on crater depth and diameter in single-and multiple-discharge EDM process.The model incorporates three main effects of the magnetic field,which include plasma confinement,mean free path reduction and pulsating magnetic field effects.Upon the application of an external magnetic field,Lorentz forces that are developed across the plasma column confine the plasma column.Also,the magnetic field reduces the mean free path of electrons due to an increase in the plasma pressure and cycloidal path taken by the electrons between the electrodes.As the mean free path of electrons reduces,more ionization occurs in plasma column and eventually an increase in the current density at the inter-electrode gap occurs.The model results for crater depth and its diameter in single discharge dry EDM process show an error of 9%-10%over the respective experimental values.     

High-efficiency removal of NO_x using dielectric barrier discharge nonthermal plasma with water as an outer electrode

With the rapid increase in the number of cars and the development of industry, nitrogen oxide(NO_x)emissions have become a serious and pressing problem. This work reports on the development of a water-cooled dielectric barrier discharge reactor for gaseous NOxremoval at low temperature. The characteristics of the reactor are evaluated with and without packing of the reaction tube with 2 mm diameter dielectric beads composed of glass, ZnO, MnO_2, ZrO_2, or Fe_2O_3. It is found that the use of a water-cooled tube reduces the temperature, which stabilizes the reaction, and provides a much greater NO conversion efficiency(28.8%) than that obtained using quartz tube(14.1%) at a frequency of 8 k Hz with an input voltage of 6.8 k V. Furthermore,under equivalent conditions, packing the reactor tube with glass beads greatly increases the NO conversion efficiency to 95.85%. This is because the dielectric beads alter the distribution of the electric field due to the influence of polarization at the glass bead surfaces, which ultimately enhances the plasma discharge intensity. The presence of the dielectric beads increases the gas residence time within the reactor. Experimental verification and a theoretical basis are provided for the industrial application of the proposed plasma NO removal process employing dielectric bead packing.     

Comparative Observation of Ar, Ar-H2 and Ar-N2 DC Arc Plasma Jets and Their Arc Root Behaviour at Reduced Pressure

Results observed experimentally are presented, about the DC arc plasma jets and their arc-root behaviour generated at reduced gas pressure without or with an applied magnetic field. Pure argon, argon-hydrogen or argon-nitrogen mixture was used as the plasma-forming gas. A specially designed copper mirror was used for a better observation of the arc-root behaviour on the anode surface of the DC non-transferred arc plasma torch. It was found that in the cases without an applied magnetic field, the laminar plasma jets were stable and approximately axisymmetrical. The arc-root attachment on the anode surface was completely diffusive when argon was used as the plasma-forming gas, while the arc-root attachment often became constrictive when hydrogen or nitrogen was added into the argon. As an external magnetic field was applied, the arc root tended to rotate along the anode surface of the non-transferred arc plasma torch.