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Laser-Induced Fluorescence Measurements of Number Densities of Neutral and Ionized Metal Atoms

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Physics and Applications of Pseudosparks

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((NSSB,volume 219))

Abstract

Experiences are reported with the application of laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) to the measurement of atomic and ionic number densities during and after vacuum arcs. The investigations were undertaken to study the influence of neutral and charged particles on the switching properties of vacuum circuit breakers.

In the presence of a plasma, the process of LIF is strongly disturbed by collisional depopulation of the upper fluorescence level. In the case of copper, this results in sensitized fluorescence from the 42P1/2 level which is closely coupled by collisions to the optically pumped 42P3/2 level. Taking the ratio of populations of the upper levels of sensitized and line fluorescence as a measure of the collisional interaction, it is shown experimentally that after extinction of the metal vapour arc, the perturbation by collisions ceases sufficiently fast to allow LIF measurements of neutral and charged atoms.

Such measurements are presented for neutral copper and tungsten, and for singly ionized tungsten and chromium. Atomic and ionic densities between 1014m-3 and 1019m-3 were observed with local resolution generally of the order of 1 mm3. The fast decay of the ion density (3 orders of magnitude within 15 us for tungsten and 9 us for chromium) after extinction of the arc can be well correlated to the recovery of vacuum switch gaps.

Measurements of the kind described could also be useful in understanding the role of metal atoms and ions in pseudosparks and related discharges.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Corporate Research and Development, Siemens AG, D-8520, Erlangen, West Germany

    Günter Lins

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  1. Günter Lins
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA

    Martin A. Gundersen

  2. Late of Polytechnic University, Farmingdale, New York, USA

    Gerhard Schaefer

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Lins, G. (1990). Laser-Induced Fluorescence Measurements of Number Densities of Neutral and Ionized Metal Atoms. In: Gundersen, M.A., Schaefer, G. (eds) Physics and Applications of Pseudosparks. NATO ASI Series, vol 219. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3786-1_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3786-1_9

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-6687-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-3786-1

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