Production of hydrogen negative ion in the sheet plasma

K.Kumita1), A.Tonegawa1), M.Ono, T.Shibuya2), K.Kawamura

Tokai University
1)Department of Physics, School of Science, Tokai University
2)Department of Electro-Photo Optics, School of Engineering, Tokai University
1117 Kitakaname, Hiratsuka, Kanagawa, 259-1292, Japan

The negative ions of hydrogen atom (H-) are formed by dissociative attachment of cold electrons to the vibrationally excited molecules. This volume production process of H- depends on the density of the vibrationally excited molecules and the cold electrons in the plasma. In order to produce the H- effectively, we have proposed a designed system of a magnetized sheet plasma crossed with a vertical gas-flow and an electron-emitter made of tungsten filaments [1-2]. The magnetized sheet plasma is well suited for the production of negative ions because the electron temperature in the central region of the plasma is as high as 15 -20 eV, while in the circumferential region of plasma, a low temperature of 1 eV with obtained. The vibrationally excited hydrogen molecules result from the deexcitation of electronic excited hydrogen molecules by the collision of hydrogen molecules with hot electron (Te=10-15 eV) in the central region of the sheet plasma. Also, vibrationally excited hydrogen molecules are attributed to recombinative desorption of hydrogen atoms on the end-target is made of W or Ta. The density of H- is measured by changing the emission current IE of the electron-emitter and the temperature of the end-target. The value of nH- was determined by a probe-assisted laser photodetachment method. Under a secondary hydrogen gas puffing into a hydrogen plasma, nH- have a maximum value (nH- = 2 × 1017 m-3) at the gas pressure of 3 mTorr and the peak position of nH- is localized at the circumference of the sheet plasma. Also, nH- increases and becomes eight times larger than of the initial condition when IE of the electron emitter increases from 0 to 25 A.

References

[1] A.Tonegawa, et.al., Jpn.J.Appl.Phys. 36, 4682(1997)
[2] M.Ono, et.al, to be accepted in J. Plasma Fusion Res.Vol.6(2004)