A collisional radiative model for low-pressure hydrogen–caesium plasmas and its application to an RF source for negative hydrogen ions

Abstract

A collisional radiative (CR) model for caesium in low-temperature, low-pressure hydrogen–caesium plasmas is introduced. This model includes the caesium ground state, 14 excited states, the singly charged caesium ion and the negative hydrogen ion. The reaction probabilities needed as an input are based on literature data, using some scaling and extrapolations. Additionally, new cross sections for electron collision ionization and three-body recombination have been calculated.The relevance of mutual neutralization of positive caesium ions and negative hydrogen ions is highlighted: depending on the densities of the involved particle species, this excitation channel can have a significant influence on the population densities of excited states in the caesium atom. This strong influence is successfully verified by optical emission spectroscopy measurements performed at the IPP prototype source for negative hydrogen ions.As a consequence, population models for caesium in electronegative low-temperature, low-pressure hydrogen–caesium plasmas need to take into account the mutual neutralization process. The present CR model is an example for such models and represents an important prerequisite for deducing the total caesium density in such plasmas.