Parametric study of magnetically confined Cu-plasma by using optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and Faraday cup (FC) techniques

Abstract

A parametric study of magnetically confined Nd:YAG laser induced Cu plasma was performed by using OES and FC techniques at different irradiances and pressures of Ar and Ne at different time delays. Both LIBS and FC analyses revealed that Cu plasma parameters (electron temperature (Te) electron/ion number density (ne/ni) are significantly enhanced in the presence of magnetic field. Without magnetic field under Ar environment, Te varies from 10,801 K to 8026 K, and ne of Cu plasma varies from1.6 × 1018 cm−3 to 0.9 × 1018 cm−3. Whereas, in the presence of magnetic field, these plasma parameters are enhanced from 12,648 K to 8300 K and from 1.6 × 1018 cm−3 to 1.03 × 1018 cm−3 respectively. FC measurements confirm that fluence of electrons and ions is increased in the presence of magnetic field from 2.6 × 1010 cm−2 to 4.2 × 1012 cm−2 and from 7.6 × 1011 cm−2 to 3.7 × 1012 cm−2 respectively. These higher values of Cu plasma parameters are attributed to Joule’s heating and adiabatic compressions after magnetic confinement.