Application of resonant Raman scattering of light for plasma diagnostics

An application of a diagnostics method based on the scattering of laser rad iation by atoms in plasma is discussed. The high sensitivity of the method is due to resonant enhancement of the Raman scattering cross section with a small offset from the exact optical resonance with an intermediate level. The measurements of the spatial distribution of the excited argon atoms wer e performed in the plasma of a high-frequency induction discharge in a wide range of offsets from exact resonance under the conditions of linearity an d with saturation of the scattering intensity. The results of the experimen ts are used to analyze the sensitivity of the method and to formulate the r equirements for diagnostics so as to optimize the experimental conditions. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S1063-7850(99)02409-X].