CALCULATION OF THE POPULATION-DENSITY IN THE LOW-PRESSURE MERCURY-ARGON DISCHARGE - ANALYSIS OF THE STEADY-STATE AND SINUSOIDAL OPERATING MODES OF THE POSITIVE-COLUMN
V. Plagnol et al., CALCULATION OF THE POPULATION-DENSITY IN THE LOW-PRESSURE MERCURY-ARGON DISCHARGE - ANALYSIS OF THE STEADY-STATE AND SINUSOIDAL OPERATING MODES OF THE POSITIVE-COLUMN, Journal de physique. III, 3(6), 1993, pp. 1167-1180
Citations number
18
Categorie Soggetti
Material Science","Phsycs, Fluid & Plasmas","Physics, Applied
This work deals with the setting up of a collisional-radiative model c
oncerning low pressure mercury-argon discharge operating under differe
nt power supplies (dc and ac). This model allows determination of vari
ous characteristic quantities of the discharge using the population an
d electronic energy conservation equations. In view of optimisation of
the consuming computer time, some simplifying but still realistic hyp
otheses have been assumed. A first study in the frame of the steady st
ate (dc), allows us to evaluate the << weight >> of certain physical p
henomena in this type of modelling. We assess how much it is of prime
importance to consider Hg-Hg collisions as well as the excitation and
ionization of argon in discharge plasmas. The first point, often disca
rded by many authors, has however a quite appreciable influence on the
different discharge parameters. Besides, the determination of the esc
ape factors for the Hg resonance lines at 254 nm and 185 nm are not fo
r the least insignificant.