Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-nr4z6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-03T12:27:18.941Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Argon ion excitation by relativistic electrons: II. Chemical kinetics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2009

D. B. McGarrah
Affiliation:
Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
M. L. Brake
Affiliation:
Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA

Abstract

A model of an electron beam interacting with neutral argon was developed by solving the chemical kinetic rate equations for the time-dependent populations of ground and excited levels of Arl and Aril as well as the populations of electron energy groups. Intensities of spectral lines were calculated, from predicted population densities and Einstein coefficients, and compared to experimental results.

The thermal plasma is generated during the beam pulse and persists for some time after the pulse is terminated. Low energy levels of Arii with a 4s or 4p valence electron have similar time profiles to the plasma density. However, high energy levels of Aril with a 4p′ or 4p′ valence electron have similar temporal profiles as the beam current. They are populated predominantly by direct ionization and exceed levels populated by thermal electrons. The 4p′ levels decay rapidly to 4s′ levels, which have very high beam deposition efficiencies for being pumped back to the 4p′ levels. In this way, certain transitions such as 4s′–4p′ in ArII are pumped directly by the electron beam. Without direct ionization, these transitions would be negligible compared to those transitions which have lower energy levels.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bennett, W. R. Jr. et al. 1966 Phys. Rev. Letters, 17, 987.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brake, M. et al. 1986 J. Appl. Phys., 60, 99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brake, M. & Repetti, T. 1988 IEEE Trans, on Plasma Sci., 16, 581.Google Scholar
Bretagne, J. et al. 1986 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys., 19, 779; 1986 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys., 19, 793.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hindmarsh, A. C. & Byrne, G. D. 1975 UCID-30112 (Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, California).Google Scholar
Koozekanani, S. H. 1966 IEEE J. Quant. Electr., QE-2, 770.Google Scholar
Lengyel, B. A. 1966 Introduction to Laser Physics (John Wiley, New York).Google Scholar
McGarrah, D. B. 1989 Ph.D. thesis (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor).Google Scholar
McGarrah, D. B. & Brake, M. L. 1990 Laser and Particle Beams, 8, 493506.Google Scholar
Miller, R. B. 1982 Intense Charged Particle Beams (Plenum Press, New York p. 194).Google Scholar
Wei, P. S. P., Adamski, J. L. & Beymer, J. R. 1977 J. Appl. Phys., 48, 568.Google Scholar