Eur. Phys. J. D (2014) 68: 256
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2014-50334-9

Regular Article

Electron-beam-sustained discharge revisited – light emission from combined electron beam and microwave excited argon at atmospheric pressure

¹ Physik Department E12, Technische Universität München, James-Franck-Str. 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
² Physik Department E15, Technische Universität München, James-Franck-Str. 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
³ Excitech GmbH, Branterei 33, 26419 Schortens, Germany

^a e-mail: andreas.ulrich@ph.tum.de

Received: 28 April 2014
Received in final form: 13 June 2014
Published online: 24 September 2014

Abstract

A novel kind of electron beam sustained discharge is presented in which a 12 keV electron beam is combined with a 2.45 GHz microwave power to excite argon gas at atmospheric pressure in a continuous mode of operation. Optical emission spectroscopy is performed over a wide wavelength range from the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) to the near infrared (NIR). Several effects which modify the emission spectra compared to sole electron beam excitation are observed and interpreted by the changing plasma parameters such as electron density, electron temperature and gas temperature.