https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e20020035
Spectroscopy of the regenerative soot
Accelerator Laboratory, PINSTECH, P.O. Nilore, Islamabad, Pakistan
Corresponding author: a shoaib@pinstech.org.pk
Received:
2
July
2001
Revised:
10
September
2001
Published online: 15 March 2002
The mechanisms and processes of the formation of the regenerative soot in a
graphite hollow cathode discharge that produces and emits carbon clusters
are presented. Mass spectrometry with a specially designed 
velocity filter analyzes the entire range of the charged clusters from 
to 
. The state of the carbon vapour within the source
is evaluated by using the characteristic line emissions from the
carbonaceous discharge whose formative mechanisms depend upon the kinetic
and potential sputtering of the sooted cathode. The carbonaceous discharge
generates atomic and ionic C and its clusters 
, noble gas
metastable atoms and ions, energetic electrons and photons in the cavity of
the graphite hollow cathode. The parameters of soot formation and its
recycling depend critically on the discharge parameters, the geometry of the
hollow cathode and 3D profile of the cusp magnetic field contours.
PACS: 34.50.Dy – Interactions of atoms and molecules with surfaces; photon and electron emission; neutralization of ions / 34.80.Dp – Atomic excitation and ionization by electron impact / 36.40.Wa – Charged clusters
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag, 2002
