Is the Collecting Surface of a Flat One-Sided Probe Constant when Measuring the Ion Distribution Function?

Abstract

The correctness of the known plane single-ended probe method for measuring the anisotropic ion distribution functions in a gas-discharge plasma has been considered. Analysis has been performed for positive probe potentials relative to the plasma with magnitudes on the order of the mean ion energy, which as a rule is much lower than the mean electron energy. We have analyzed the dependence of the collection surface area of a plane probe on its potential in this range. The structure of the near-probe layer has been determined for an isotropic electron distribution function of the Maxwellian or Druvestein type and an anisotropic ion distribution function. These results are used to derive analytic relations for the correction to the second derivative of the probe current with respect to the plane probe potential. It has been shown that, when the ion distribution function is measured in a wide range of conditions in the gas-discharge plasma, when the approximation of a collisionless probe layer is applicable, and the probe does not perturb the plasma, the dependence of the collection surface area of the probe on the potential can be disregarded in this range.