Theoretical and experimental investigation of plasma and wave characteristics of coaxial discharges at low pressures

Abstract

The paper discusses a new configuration of the surface-wave sustained plasma - the coaxial structure. The coaxial structure is investigated on the base of one-dimensional axial fluid model. That model is adequate enough for low pressure plasma, when the main process for charged particles production is the direct ionization from the ground state and the loss of electrons is due to diffusion to the wall. The role of the geometric factors is evaluated and discussed, varying the discharge conditions in the theoretical model. The main equations of the model - the local dispersion relation and the wave energy balance equation are obtained from Maxwell's equations with appropriate boundary conditions. The phase diagrams, the radial profiles of the electric field and the axial profiles of dimensionless electron number density, wave number, wave power are obtained at various plasma radii and dielectric tube thickness. The results are compared with those for the typical cylindrical plasma column at similar conditions. For the purpose of modelling at low pressure of a coaxial discharge sustained by a travelling electromagnetic wave, some important characteristics of the propagation of surface waves have been investigated experimentally. The axial profiles of the propagation coefficient and radial profiles of the electric field at different experimental conditions have been obtained and discussed. © 2006 IOP Publishing Ltd.