Title :
Characteristics of Microwave Plasma Torch at Atmospheric Pressure
Author :
Zhang, Qing ; Zhang, Guixin ; Wang, Shumin ; Wang, Liming ; Huo, Na
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electr. Eng., Tsinghua Univ., Beijing, China
Abstract :
We studied the characteristics of a microwave argon plasma torch at atmospheric pressure. The electron temperature of the plasma was measured by optical-emission spectroscopy and increases nonlinearly from 3000 to 3800 K with the increase of the microwave power from 1.0 to 4.0 kW. The spatial distribution of the electron density was measured with a Mach-Zehnder interferometer to be on the order of 1017/cm3 and characterized by fluctuating with the time under the same experimental conditions. Based on the plasma parameters measured, it can be concluded that the plasma is in the state of local thermodynamic equilibrium.
Keywords :
argon; plasma density; plasma diagnostics; plasma temperature; plasma thermodynamics; plasma torches; Ar; Mach-Zehnder interferometer; atmospheric pressure; electron density spatial distribution; electron temperature; local thermodynamic equilibrium state; microwave argon plasma torch; optical-emission spectroscopy; plasma parameters; power 1.0 kW to 4.0 kW; pressure 1 atm; temperature 3000 K to 3800 K; Argon; Atmospheric measurements; Microwave measurements; Plasma measurements; Plasma temperature; Temperature measurement; Atmospheric pressure; local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE); microwave plasma;
Journal_Title :
Plasma Science, IEEE Transactions on
DOI :
10.1109/TPS.2010.2068062
