Diagnostics and modeling of glow discharges by time-resolved IR absorption spectroscopy

Several applications of time resolved infrared (IR) absorption spectroscopy with different spectral resolutions and time scales were described for the modeling and diagnostic of cold plasmas produced in square wave modulated hollow cathode discharges. An efficient and sensitive way to test the relevance of the different individual mechanisms was revealed by these methods in comparison with the usual plasma diagnostic methods of the stationary state. The temporal hierarchy of the characteristic dynamical features involved in the global kinetics of the plasma was analyzed by the modulation of the discharge at different frequencies and time-resolved diagnostics at different time scales.© 2002 Elsevier Science
Financial support:the SEUID of Spain (Projects PB98-0762-C03-02, PB96-0881) and the Consejería de Educación y Cultura, C.A.M. (Project 07N/0024/1999)