Comparison of measured and simulated electron energy distribution functions in low-pressure helium plasmas

Abstract

Knowledge of the electron energy distribution function (EEDF) is of great interest in different branches of plasma physics ranging from laboratory to fusion plasmas. In the frame of this work systematic measurements of the EEDF in low temperature helium plasmas (Te ≈ 2 eV) at different working gas pressures and discharge currents (Idis between 1 and 2 A) will be presented and compared with numerical particle-in-cell (PIC) code simulations. The experiments were conducted in the Innsbruck double plasma machine and in the Ljubljana linear magnetic plasma device with helium as the working gas. The EEDF was obtained by the second derivative of the characteristic of a Langmuir probe. The PIC code was used to simulate the EEDF by taking into account most of the physical parameters in the plasma vessel.