Emission from a Sulfur-Hexafluoride Volume Discharge Induced by Attachment Instability

摘要

Characteristics of a low-pressure volume discharge in SF_63 are investigated. The discharge with a spherical anode-plane cathode electrode system was induced by attachment instability. It is found that applying a dc voltage (U_(ch) ≤ 1.3 kV) to the anode in the absence of a confining dielectric wall results in the ignition of a repetitive discharge (f = 0.1-120 kHz). The spatial, frequency, and current-voltage characteristics of the volume discharge; plasma emission in the spectral range 200-700 nm; and the waveforms of the discage voltage, current, and plasma emission are investigated. It is shown that the plasma under study exists in the form of a domain (autosoliton) and that the volume discharge is self-induced because, during attachment instability, the plasma itself acts as a switch enabling repetitive pulsed operation. The results obtained can be applied to studying the physics and technology of electric-discharge chemical HF (DF) lasers based on nonchain reactions and to developing high-aperture low-pressure repetitive Ar-, Kr-, and Xe-fluoride lamps with low-corrosive working media (low-pressure mixtures of Ar, Kr, and Xe with SF_6).