A magnetic multipole plasma source for the investigation of electron-atom collision processes

The investigation of electron-atom collision processes requires a uniform, quiet, field-free, dense plasma at low gas pressures. It can be generated i n a magnetic multipole discharge. We present the design of the employed mag netic multipole plasma source as well as the characteristics and the plasma parameter evaluation of the multipole plasma in helium and argon discharge s. Electron temperature and density are obtained spatially resolved with a Langmuir probe and are in the range of 1 eV < kT(e) < 10 eV and 10(11) cm(- 3) < n(e) < 10(13) cm(-3) respectively, at gas filling pressures of 1 Pa le ss than or equal to p(g) less than or equal to 5 Pa.