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Published on: October 11, 2016
Spectroscopic interferometer for coherence length spectroscopy of pulsed discharge plasma
Yong W Kim1, Nopporn Poolyarat
1Department of Physics, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, USA. ywk0@lehigh.edu
The Review of Scientific Instruments
|December 3, 2008
Summary
Researchers developed a spectroscopic interferometer to study argon-iron plasmas. This tool measured plasma temperature and coherence length, revealing dependencies on viewing direction and plasma collisions.
Area of Science:
- Plasma physics
- Spectroscopy
- Atomic and molecular physics
Background:
- Pulsed discharge plasmas are crucial in various scientific applications.
- Understanding plasma properties like temperature and composition is essential for controlling plasma behavior.
- Spectroscopic methods offer non-intrusive ways to probe plasma characteristics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and test a spectroscopic interferometer for analyzing pulsed discharge plasmas.
- To measure the peak plasma temperature of an argon-iron mixture.
- To investigate the coherence length of argon emission lines and its relation to plasma properties.
Main Methods:
- Constructed a spectroscopic interferometer.
- Generated plasma using capacitor discharge in argon with iron ablation.
- Utilized Saha equations to incorporate ablative mass addition and calculate plasma energy.
- Compared calculated plasma energy with injected energy to determine temperature.
- Measured coherence length of argon emission lines.
Main Results:
- Successfully operated the spectroscopic interferometer with a pulsed discharge argon-iron plasma.
- Determined peak plasma temperature by comparing calculated and injected energy.
- Observed that the coherence length of argon emission lines depends on the line of sight.
- Found a scaling relationship between coherence length and plasma collision time.
Conclusions:
- The developed spectroscopic interferometer is effective for characterizing pulsed discharge plasmas.
- Plasma temperature can be accurately determined by integrating mass addition into energy calculations.
- Coherence length measurements provide insights into plasma dynamics and collisional effects.
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