Comparative measurements of plasma potential with ball-pen and Langmuir probe in low-temperature magnetized plasma

0454926 - ÚFP 2016 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Zanáška, M. - Adámek, Jiří - Peterka, Matěj - Kudrna, P. - Tichý, M.
Comparative measurements of plasma potential with ball-pen and Langmuir probe in low-temperature magnetized plasma.
Physics of Plasmas. Roč. 22, č. 3 (2015), č. článku 033516. ISSN 1070-664X. E-ISSN 1089-7674
Institutional support: RVO:61389021
Keywords : plasma * tokamak * ball-pen probe (BPP)
OECD category: Fluids and plasma physics (including surface physics)
Impact factor: 2.207, year: 2015
http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/journal/pop/22/3/10.1063/1.4916572

The ball-pen probe (BPP) is used for direct plasma potential measurements in magnetized plasma. The probe can adjust the ratio of the electron and ion saturation currents I-sat(-)/I-sat(+) to be close to one and therefore its I-V characteristic becomes nearly symmetric. If this is achieved, the floating potential of the BPP is close to the plasma potential. Because of its rather simple construction, it offers an attractive probe for measurements in magnetized plasma. Comparative measurements of plasma potential by BPPs of different dimensions as well as one Langmuir probe (LP) in an argon discharge plasma of a cylindrical magnetron were performed at various experimental conditions. An additional comparison by an emissive probe was also performed. All these types of probes provide similar values of plasma potential in a wide range of plasma parameters. Our results for three different BPP dimensions indicate that the BPP can be operated in a cylindrical magnetron DC argon discharge if
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0255589