dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaEvidence of the production of hot hydrogen atoms in RF plasmas by catalytic reactions between hydrogen and oxygen species
| Authors | Jonathan Phillips, Chun Ku Chen, Randell Mills |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0402033 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0402033 |
Abstract
Selective H-atom line broadening was found to be present throughout the volume (13.5 cm ID x 38 cm length) of RF generated H2O plasmas in a GEC cell. Notably, at low pressures (ca. <0.08 Torr), a significant fraction (ca. 20%) of the atomic hydrogen was 'hot' with energies greater than 40 eV with a pressure dependence, but only a weak power dependence. The degree of broadening was virtually independent of the position studied within the GEC cell, similar to the recent finding for He/H2 and Ar/H2 plasmas in the same GEC cell. In contrast to the atomic hydrogen lines, no broadening was observed in oxygen species lines at low pressures. Also, in control Xe/H2 plasmas run in the same cell at similar pressures and adsorbed power, no significant broadening of atomic hydrogen, Xe, or any other lines was observed. Stark broadening or acceleration of charged species due to high electric fields can not explain the results since (i) the electron density was insufficient by orders of magnitude, (ii) the RF field was essentially confined to the cathode fall region in contrast to the broadening that was independent of position, and (iii) only the atomic hydrogen lines were broadened. Rather, all of the data is consistent with a model that claims specific, predicted, species can act catalytically through a resonant energy transfer mechanism to create hot hydrogen atoms in plasmas.
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"abstract": "Selective H-atom line broadening was found to be present throughout the\nvolume (13.5 cm ID x 38 cm length) of RF generated H2O plasmas in a GEC cell.\nNotably, at low pressures (ca. \u003c0.08 Torr), a significant fraction (ca. 20%) of\nthe atomic hydrogen was \u0027hot\u0027 with energies greater than 40 eV with a pressure\ndependence, but only a weak power dependence. The degree of broadening was\nvirtually independent of the position studied within the GEC cell, similar to\nthe recent finding for He/H2 and Ar/H2 plasmas in the same GEC cell. In\ncontrast to the atomic hydrogen lines, no broadening was observed in oxygen\nspecies lines at low pressures. Also, in control Xe/H2 plasmas run in the same\ncell at similar pressures and adsorbed power, no significant broadening of\natomic hydrogen, Xe, or any other lines was observed. Stark broadening or\nacceleration of charged species due to high electric fields can not explain the\nresults since (i) the electron density was insufficient by orders of magnitude,\n(ii) the RF field was essentially confined to the cathode fall region in\ncontrast to the broadening that was independent of position, and (iii) only the\natomic hydrogen lines were broadened. Rather, all of the data is consistent\nwith a model that claims specific, predicted, species can act catalytically\nthrough a resonant energy transfer mechanism to create hot hydrogen atoms in\nplasmas.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0402033",
"authors": [
"Jonathan Phillips",
"Chun Ku Chen",
"Randell Mills"
],
"categories": [
"physics.plasm-ph",
"physics.gen-ph"
],
"title": "Evidence of the production of hot hydrogen atoms in RF plasmas by catalytic reactions between hydrogen and oxygen species",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0402033"
},
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