Abstract
The Langmuir Probe is the key plasma diagnostic used by scientists interested in plasma characterization to measure the internal parameters of the bulk of the plasma. Spherical Langmuir Probes have been installed on satellites and sounding rockets to observe the general characteristics of thermal plasma in the ionosphere for more than five decades. Because of its simplicity and convenience, the Langmuir probe is one of the most frequently installed scientific instruments on spacecraft. This research explores the theoretical study of Spherical Langmuir Probe I-V Characteristics. With the help of the (volt–ampere curves) of spherical Langmuir probes, the different parameters of plasma can be determined such as plasma potential, floating potential, probe currents in different probe voltage and so on. The effect of electron temperature on the Electron Energy Distribution Function (EEDF) was also analyzed. At higher energy range, the shape of the distribution recovers and the tail trend with energy is maintained and decreases exponentially.
Highlights
Langmuir probe as a plasma diagnostic device has been widely used to characterize laboratory plasmas and is accepted worldwide for the measurement of plasma parameters like electron density, electron temperature, floating potential, plasma potential, and electron energy distribution
Many plasma diagnostic methods have been developed since the original work of Irving Langmuir, the Langmuir probe is still one of the most powerful plasma diagnostic tools due to its simplicity, low cost, adaptability, ability to determine the fundamental characteristics of a plasma
The Langmuir probe technique for in situ measurement of plasma parameters has been around for eight decades, deriving the parameters with accuracy from the data acquired by a Langmuir probe immersed in space plasma is still a challenging task
Summary
Langmuir probe as a plasma diagnostic device has been widely used to characterize laboratory plasmas and is accepted worldwide for the measurement of plasma parameters like electron density, electron temperature, floating potential, plasma potential, and electron energy distribution. The technique, with further developments, has been extensively applied to the study of gas discharges and to the study of the ionosphere. From the I-V characteristics, one can estimate the temperature and number density of thermal electrons as bulk parameters. The technique has been used to measure thermal plasma populations on spacecraft in the ionosphere, the conditions are more complex on a fast moving platform. The first in situ measurement of electron temperature in the ionosphere was made by Langmuir probe in 1947 [3]. There is no general theory of Langmuir probes which is applicable to all measurement conditions, because it depends on the probe size and geometry, plasma density and temperature, platform velocity, and other factors. OML theory can be adopted when the probe radius is smaller than the thickness of the sheath surrounding the probe, while it must be equal to or larger than the sheath thickness in the case of SAL theory
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