Comparison of the Plasma Temperature and Electron Number Density of the Pulsed Electrolyte Cathode Atmospheric Pressure Discharge and the Direct Current Solution Cathode Glow Discharge

摘要

A novel-pulsed electrolyte cathode atmospheric pressure discharge (pulsed-ECAD) plasma source driven by an alternating current (AC) power supply coupled with a high-voltage diode was generated under normal atmospheric pressure between a metal electrode and a small-sized flowing liquid cathode. The spatial distributions of the excitation, vibrational, and rotational plasma temperatures of the pulsed-ECAD were investigated. The electron excitation temperature of H T-exc(H), vibrational temperature of N-2 T-vib(N-2), and rotational temperature of OH T-rot(OH) were from 4900 +/- 36 to 6800 +/- 108 K, from 4600 +/- 86 to 5800 +/- 100 K, and from 1050 +/- 20 to 1140 +/- 10 K, respectively. The temperature characteristics of the dc solution cathode glow discharge (dc-SCGD) were also studied for the comparison with the pulsed-ECAD. The effects of operating parameters, including the discharge voltage and discharge frequency, on the plasma temperatures were investigated. The electron number densities determined in the discharge system and dc-SCGD were 3.8-18.9 x 10(14) cm(-3) and 2.6 x 10(14) to 17.2 x 10(14) cm(-3), respectively.