Effects of Sulfur Hexafluoride on Ionization Waves in an Argon Glow Discharge

摘要

Sulfurhexaflouride was added in trace amounts to low pressure Argon glow discharge operated at 2.0 to 2.5 Torr and 1 to 30 mA. Using current modulation and voltage pulsing techniques, ionization waves were artifically driven and measured using a space-time correlation method developed by Stirand et al. It was found that the addition of SF6 affected the dispersion properties of the ionizaiton waves by directing the phase velocity so that the waves trended toward a forward wave type from the original backward waves found in pure Argon. In addition, the injection of CO as a detaching mechanism into the Argon/SF6 discharges worked to reverse the effects of the SF6. (Author)