The Role of Metastable Atoms in a Homogeneous Atmospheric Pressure Barrier Discharge in Helium

A one-dimensional fluid model for homogeneous atmospheric pressure barrier discharges in helium is presented by considering elementary processes of excitation and ionization including a metastable atom effect. Using this model we investigate the behaviours of the helium metastable atoms in discharges as well as their influence on the discharge characteristics. It is shown that the metastable atoms with a relatively high concentration during the discharge are mainly produced in the active phase of the discharge and dissolved in the off phase. It is also found that the metastable atom collisions can not only provide seed electrons for discharges but also influence the concentration of ions. A reduction of matestable atom density results in a drop in the charged particle densities and causes a qualitative change in the discharge patterns.

Ionization cross sections for electron scattering from metastable rare-gas atoms （Ne~＊ and Ar~＊）

The optical-model approach has been used to investigate the electron-impact ionization of metastable rare-gas atoms. A complex equivalent-local polarization potential is obtained to describe the ionization continuum channels. We have calculated the cross sections for collisional ionization of the metastable atoms Ne＊ and Ar＊ by electrons in the energy range from threshold to 200 eV. The present results are in agreement with the available experimental measurements and other theoretical calculations.

MECHANISM OF THE GROWTH, NUCLEATION, AND HETEROEPITAXY OF METASTABLE DIAMOND FILMS ON ATOMIC SCALE

The mechanism of chemical-vapor-deposited (CVD) diamond film growth has attracted increasing attention recent years, mainly due to the fact that further technological advancement (such as obtaining high-quality films, controlling film growth, and heteroepitaxial growth, etc.) requires a more detailed understanding of the fundamental phenomena responsible for diamond growth.

Formation and destruction of striation plasmas in helium glow discharge at medium pressures

The striation plasmas are usually generated within a positive column of glow discharge,where rich and complex physical interactions are involved,especially,in the medium or high pressures.Along these lines,our work aims to thoroughly investigate the formation and destruction of helium striation plasmas at kPa level pressures.The characteristics of the helium striation plasmas,and especially the optical emission properties are explored.The emission lines of 706.52 nm and391.44 nm related to the energetic electrons and the high-energy metastable helium atoms respectively,were focused on in this work.The formation of striation plasmas in a helium glow discharge,is mainly associated with the instability originating from the stepwise ionization of high-energy metastable state atoms,Maxwellization of the electron distribution functions and gas heating.Additionally,the destruction effect of helium striation plasmas is of great significance when a small amount of nitrogen or oxygen is mixed into the discharge plasmas.The reduction of the mean electron energy and the consumption of the high-energy metastable helium atoms are considered as the underlying reasons for the destruction of striation plasmas.

Metastable noble gas atoms in strong-field ionization experiments

The interactions of strong-field few-cycle laser pulses with metastable states of noble gas atoms are examined. Metastable noble gas atoms offer a combination of low ionization potential and a relatively simple atomic structure, making them excellent targets for examining ionization dynamics in varying experimental conditions. A review of the current work performed on metastable noble gas atoms is presented.

Kinetics Characteristics and Bremsstrahlung of Argon DC Discharge Under Atmospheric Pressure

An improved self-consistent, multi-component, and one-dimensional plasma model for simulating atmospheric pressure argon glow discharge is presented. In the model, both the plasma hydrodynamics model and chemical model are considered. The numerical simulation is carried out for parallel-plate geometry with a separation of 0.06 cm. The results show that Ar＊ plays a major role in the discharge, which is mainly produced by ground state excitation reaction. The electron temperature reaches its maximum in the cathode sheath but maintains a low value （0.23 eV） in bulk plasma. Elastic collision is the dominant volumetric electron energy loss in atmosphere argon glow discharge, which is negligible in low pressure argon glow discharge. The metastable step-wise ionization is the main mechanism for electron production to sustain the discharge. However, the highest contribution to electron production rate is ground state ionization reaction. The bremsstrahlung power density is related to electric voltage. With the increase of the electric voltage, the bremsstrahlung power density increases, namely, the strength of ultraviolet radiation spectrum enhances in the cathode sheath.