The main properties of microwave argon plasma at atmospheric pressure

Abstract

Plasma torch sustained by surface wave at atmospheric pressure is theoretically studied by means of 1D model. A steady-state Boltzmann equation in an effective field approximation coupled with a collisional-radiative model for high-pressure argon discharge is numerically solved together with Maxwell's equations for an azimuthally symmetric TM surface wave. The axial dependences of the electrons, excited atoms, atomic and molecular ions densities as well as the electron temperature, the mean power per electron and the effective electron-neutral collision frequency are determined. A strong dependence of the plasma properties on the discharge conditions and the gas temperature is obtained. © 2010 IOP Publishing Ltd.