Electronegative Plasma Structure

It is well understood that simply changing the feed gas from an electropositive to electronegative gas can result in a substantially different discharge structure. We find that the electron pressure (or energy density) can visibly vary for discharges with significant electron attachment, whereas it is much more uniform for electropositive glows. Such structure in the electron energy density is difficult to measure by using other experimental diagnostics; however, it is relatively easy to see by visual inspection.