Control of H- ion density in the sheet plasma by an electron emitter

M.Ono, K.Kumita, A.Tonegawa, T.Shibuya, K.Kawamura

Tokai University, Kitakaname, Hiratsuka, Kanagawa, 259-1292, Japan

The negative hydrogen ions (H-) are formed by dissociateve attachment of slow electron to the vibrationally excited molecules which is attributed to electron-impact excitation of molecules by the fast primary electron in the plasma. We have been carried out the control of H- ion density at the circumference of the hydrogen sheet plasma by an electron emitter which is changed the density and the energy of slow electron. The hydrogen sheet plasma was produced in the linear plasma simulator, TPD-SheetIV (Test Plasma produced by Direct current for Sheet plasma IV)[1]. The H- ion densities were measured by a probe-assisted laser photodetachment method. The space potential was measured by an emissive probe. At a secondary hydrogen gas puffing into a hydrogen plasma, H- ion density nH- have a maximum value (nH- = 2×1017 m-3) at the gas pressure of 0.15 Pa×m3/s and peak position of nH- appears at the circumference of the sheet plasma. Under these conditions, nH- increases when the current of electron emitter IE increases from 0 to 25 A. Also, nH- reached a peak value at the applying bias voltage of the electron emitter against the plasma potential VE = 1-2 V. Above this bias voltage, nH- is smoothly decreasing function of VE. The bias voltage VE at the peak value of nH- is related to the cross section for dissociative attachment of electrons to vibrationally excited hydrogen molecules.

References

[1]A.Tonegawa, et.al, J.Nucl.Matter, 313-346(2003)1046