GENERATION OF UV AND VUV RADIATION BY SUR FACE DISCHARGE

Dynamic and spectroscopic characteristics of a vacuum ultraviolet form ed ferrite plasma source are presented. Electrical discharges (200 a 1 000 J) in argon or helium (10(-4) Torr to 1,5 bar) lead to the formati on of a half-cylindrical plasma column surrounded by a layer of shock- compressed gas. We show that the plasma and shock wave propagation dep ends on the deposited energy and on the background gas density. Spectr oscopic study in the 115-210 nm spectral region has been carried out. Emission spectra are dominated either by atomic lines superimposed on continuum emission depending on the surrounding gas. Atomic lines are related to the emission from electronic transitions of singly or multi -ionized atomic species ejected from the ferrite.