Probing the Plasma Sheath by the Continuous Mass Loss of Microparticles

Author

Carstensen, J. ; Haase, Frerk ; Jung, H. ; Tadsen, B. ; Groth, S. ; Greiner, F. ; Piel, Alexander

Author_Institution

Inst. fur Exp. und Angewandte Phys., Christian-Albrechts-Univ. zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany

Volume

41

Issue

4

fYear

2013

fDate

Apr-13

Firstpage

764

Lastpage

768

Abstract

A novel approach of using microparticles as probes for the sheath structure of radio-frequency discharges is presented. Starting with a heavy (large) particle confined deep in the plasma sheath, the ambient plasma causes a continuous mass loss, which increases the levitation height of the particle. It is shown that this process can be precisely monitored with the phase-resolved resonance method, which allows probing the force balance of the particle with high spatial resolution. The resulting force profile is in reasonable agreement with recent sheath models.

Keywords

discharges (electric); dusty plasmas; plasma confinement; plasma probes; plasma sheaths; continuous mass loss; dust particle; heavy particle deep confinement; microparticles; particle levitation height; phase-resolved resonance method; plasma probes; plasma sheath structure; radio-frequency discharges; resulting force profile; spatial resolution; Atmospheric measurements; Friction; Levitation; Particle measurements; Plasma measurements; Plasma sheaths; Complex plasma; Epstein friction; diagnostic; dusty plasma; plasma sheath;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Plasma Science, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0093-3813

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/TPS.2012.2224330

Filename

6336830