Average Electron Temperature Research Articles

The Physics of the Coronal-line Region for Galaxies in Mapping Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory

Abstract The fundamental nature and extent of the coronal-line region (CLR), which may serve as a vital tracer for active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity, remain unresolved. Previous studies suggest that the CLR is produced by AGN-driven outflows and occupies a distinct region between the broad-line region and the narrow-line region, which places it tens to hundreds of parsecs from the galactic center. Here, we investigate 10 coronal line (CL; ionization potential ≳100 eV) emitting galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV Mapping Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) catalog with emission from one or more CLs detected at ≥5σ above the continuum in at least 10 spaxels—the largest such MaNGA catalog. We find that the CLR is far more extended, reaching out to 1.3–23 kpc from the galactic center. We crossmatch our sample of 10 CL galaxies with the largest existing MaNGA AGN catalog and identify seven in it; two of the remaining three are galaxy mergers and the final one is an AGN candidate. Further, we measure the average CLR electron temperatures as ranging between 12,331 and 22,530 K, slightly above the typical threshold for pure AGN photoionization (∼20,000 K) and indicative of shocks (e.g., merger induced or from supernova remnants) in the CLR. We reason that ionizing photons emitted by the central continuum source (i.e., AGN photoionization) primarily generate the CLs, and that energetic shocks are an additional ionization mechanism that likely produce the most extended CLRs we measure.

A plasma equilibrium model for rapid estimation of SF-MPDT performance

In this work, a zero-dimensional plasma model for self-field magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters (SF-MPDTs) is proposed, which is based on the ion-number balance equation and energy balance equation, and can calculate the average electron temperature and the average ion temperature inside the discharge chamber conveniently. At the same time, the model can also predict the thruster performance, and the thruster performance predicted by the model is compared with experimental results, which proved the reliability of the model.

IOT-based in situ condition monitoring of semiconductor fabrication equipment for e-maintenance

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to demonstrate industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solution to improve the equipment condition monitoring with equipment status data and process condition monitoring with plasma optical emission spectroscopy data, simultaneously. The suggested research contributes e-maintenance capability by remote monitoring in real time.Design/methodology/approachSemiconductor processing equipment consists of more than a thousand of components, and unreliable condition of equipment parts leads to the failure of wafer production. This study presents a web-based remote monitoring system for physical vapor deposition (PVD) systems using programmable logic controller (PLC) and Modbus protocol. A method of obtaining electron temperature and electron density in plasma through optical emission spectroscopy (OES) is proposed to monitor the plasma process. Through this system, parts that affect equipment and processes can be controlled and properly managed. It is certainly beneficial to improve the manufacturing yield by reducing errors from equipment parts.FindingsA web-based remote monitoring system provides much of benefits to equipment engineers to provide equipment data for the equipment maintenance even though they are physically away from the equipment side. The usefulness of IIoT for the e-maintenance in semiconductor manufacturing domain with the in situ monitoring of plasma parameters is convinced. The authors found the average electron temperature gradually with the increase of Ar carrier gas flow due to the increased atomic collisions in PVD process. The large amount of carrier gas flow, in this experimental case, was 90 sccm, dramatically decreasing the electron temperature, which represents kinetic energy of electrons.Research limitations/implicationsSemiconductor industries require high level of data security for the protection of their intellectual properties, and it also falls into equipment operational condition; however, data security through the Internet communication is not considered in this research, but it is already existing technology to be easily adopted by add-on feature.Practical implicationsThe findings indicate that crucial equipment parameters are the amount of carrier gas flow rate and chamber pressure among the many equipment parameters, and they also affect plasma parameters of electron temperature and electron density, which directly affect the quality of metal deposition process result on wafer. Increasing the gas flow rate beyond a certain limit can yield the electron temperature loss to have undesired process result.Originality/valueSeveral research studies on data mining with semiconductor equipment data have been suggested in semiconductor data mining domain, but the actual demonstration of the data acquisition system with real-time plasma monitoring data has not been reported. The suggested research is also valuable in terms of high cost and complicated equipment manufacturing.

Development of laser induced breakdown spectroscopy technique to study irrigation water quality impact on nutrients and toxic elements distribution in cultivated soil.

This study is focused mainly on impact of irrigation water quality in cultivated soil on distribution of essentials nutrients (Al, Mg, Ca, Fe, S, Si, Na, P, and K) and relatively toxic metals (As, Ba, Cr, Cu, Ti, Sn, Mn, Ni, and Zn) using an elegant Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technique. A pulsed Nd:YAG laser operating at 1064 nm in conjunction with suitable detector was applied to record soil emission spectra. The abundance of these elements were evaluated via standard calibration curve Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (CC-LIBS) and calibration free Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (CF-LIBS) approaches. Quantitative analyses were accomplished under conjecture of local thermodynamic equilibrium (L.T.E) and optically thin plasma. The average electron temperatures were estimated by Boltzmann plot method for cultivated soil samples in 7800 to 9300 K range. The electron number density was ~ 1.11 × 1017 cm − 3 to 1.60 × 1017 cm − 3. Prior to application on soil samples, the experimental setup was optimized at the following parameters: pulsed energy = 60 mJpulse-1, sample to lens distance of 9.0 cm, and the gate delay of 3.5 μs. It is noteworthy that nutritional elements content of cultivated soils were found strongly dependent upon the irrigation water quality. The cultivated soil from industrial area was found rich of toxins while the cultivated land using tube well water contains toxins in least amount. Our LIBS findings were also validated by comparing its results with contents measured using a standard inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) method and both were found in excellent agreement. The present study could be highly beneficial for agricultural applications and for farmers to produce safe food products and higher crops yield.

Estimation of electron density and temperature in an argon rotating gliding arc using optical and electrical measurements

This work reports average electron temperature (Te) and electron density (ne) of an atmospheric argon rotating gliding arc (RGA), operated in glow-type mode, under transitional and turbulent flows. Both Te and ne were calculated near the shortest (δ) and longest (Δ) gap between the electrodes, by two different methods using two separate measurements: (1) optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and (2) physical–electrical. Te calculated from (a) collisional radiative model (CRM) (OES) and (b) BOLSIG+ [physical–electrical, reduced electric field (ENo) as input], differed each other by 16%–26% at δ and 6% at Δ. Te was maximum at δ (>2 eV) and minimum near Δ (1.6–1.7 eV). Similarly, the ENo was maximum near the δ (5–8 Td) and minimum near Δ, reaching an asymptotic value (1 Td). By benchmarking Te from CRM, the expected ENo near δ was corrected to 3 Td. The calculated CRM intensity agreed well with that of the measured for most of the emission lines indicating a well optimized model. The average ne near δ and Δ from Stark broadening (OES) was 4.8–8.0×1021 m−3, which is an order higher than the ne calculated through current density (physical–electrical). Te and ne were not affected by gas flow, attributed to the glow-type mode operation. To the best of authors’ knowledge, this work reports for the first time (a) an optimized CRM for RGAs (fine-structure resolved), (b) the poly-diagnostic approach to estimate plasma parameters, and (c) the validation of ENo calculated using physical–electrical measurements.

Plasma parameters in very high frequency argon plasmas mixed with nitrogen at atmospheric pressure

A recently reported procedure [Yoshida et al., J. Appl. Phys. 128, 133303 (2020)] for estimating plasma parameters in atmospheric-pressure (AP) Ar plasma has been extended to be applicable for Ar-N2 AP plasma. Amplitudes of current density and voltage between the electrodes and power absorbed in the plasma have been obtained by three-dimensional computer simulation of the whole system. The only needed input parameters for the simulation are input power and capacitance gaps in the matching unit. Using an inhomogeneous plasma model and a power balance relation, the central electron density (n0) and the collisional energy loss per electron–ion pair created (ɛc) have been estimated. In this study, to estimate the average electron temperature (Te), ɛc as a function of Te has been calculated from the cross-sectional data set on electron impact reactions in the range applicable for the present plasma condition. In the low Te range (<1 eV) where ɛc has not been well reported, we have calculated ɛc(Te) as a function of N2 concentration in Ar taking the vibrational and rotational excitations of N2 molecules into account. From the experiments and analyses of Ar-N2 AP plasma generation, it is found that n0 decreases drastically with increasing N2 concentration while Te increases slightly. Also, it is found that n0 increases with increasing input power (P) such as n0∝P1.9 while Te increases gradually. Based on the N2 concentration and input power dependences of Te and n0, some guidelines for selecting effective AP plasma nitridation conditions have been discussed.

A Two-Dimensional Air Discharge Modified Model Under Unipolar Square Pulse Voltage at Low Temperature and Sub-Atmospheric Pressure

In this paper, a modified COMSOL Multiphysics model with artificial stability is adopted, and the boundary condition developed in the previous paper are applied to the calculation of the photoionization rate. The main processes involved in air discharge were simulated by 39 plasma chemical reactions composed of 12 kinds of particles. The characteristics of low-temperature sub-atmospheric pressure air discharge under unipolar square wave pulse voltage with 13kV applied amplitude, 25 kHz-50 kHz frequency and a duty cycle of 50%-75% are discussed. The results show that: When the duty cycle increases, the average density of electron, N2+, N4+, O2+, O4+, and N2O2+ show an increasing trend, and the average electron temperature changes little; When the frequency increases, the average electron density, the average density of N4+ and O4+ show a downward trend, the average density of N2+, O2+, N2O2+ change little; The average electron temperature shows an increasing trend, but the duration of high electron temperature becomes shorter. When discussing a single period, it is found that the potential difference between the electrode and the plasma determines the direction of the electric field in the space. For the photoionization reaction, even if its influence on the negative streamer is not important, it still needs to be considered in the simulation. The effect of temperature on discharge is also taken as the research emphasis, it includes the following aspects: Firstly, at low temperature, the collision reaction and attachment reaction rates are increased, while the recombination reaction rate is almost unaffected; Secondly, low temperature results in the decrease of secondary electron emission coefficient, which indirectly increases the electric field gradient and the peak value of electric field; Finally, at low temperature, the mobility of carriers, including electrons, positive and negative ions, is increased, but the streamer velocity is decreased.

Мicrochannel Structure Parameters in the Initial Phase of a Spark Discharge in a Tip–Plane Gap in Atmospheric-Pressure Air

The results of studying the initial phase of a spark discharge microstructure formation in a tip–plane gap 1.5 mm length in air are presented. Measurements show that, within 15 ns after breakdown, the channel is an aggregate of a large number of microchannels, the current in the channel rises almost linearly to a value of 1 kA, and the electron density reaches 2 × 1019 cm–3. Calculations of the kinetics of processes in a separate microchannel taking into account experimental data have been carried out. It has been found that the average electron temperature ranges from 4 to 8 eV, the electric field strength is ~ 300 kV/cm, and electrical conductivity is ~10 Ω–1 cm–1. The results obtained show that it is the discharge microstructure that causes relatively high values of the average electron temperature along with a sufficiently high ionization degree.

Investigation of the microchannel structure in the initial phase of the discharge in air at atmospheric pressure in the “pin (anode)-plane” gap

The results of studies of the microstructure in the initial phase of the discharge in air in the gap between the pin and a plane 1.5 mm long are presented. Measurements show that within 15 ns after breakdown, the channel is a bundle of a large number of microchannels, the current in the channel grows almost linearly up to 1 kA, and the electron concentration reaches 2 × 1019 cm−3. Taking into account the experimental data, the electron temperature dynamics in a separate microchannel was calculated. It was found that the average electron temperature is from 4 to 8 eV, the electric field strength is ∼300 kV/cm, and the electrical conductivity is ∼10 Ω−1 cm−1. The obtained results indicate that it is the microstructure of the discharge that determines the relatively high values of the average temperature of electrons in combination with a sufficiently high degree of ionization.

Thermomagnetic instability of plasma composition gradients

We show that, under Braginskii magneto-hydrodynamics, anti-parallel gradients in an average ion charge state and electron temperature can be unstable to the growth of self-generated magnetic fields. The instability is analogous to the field-generating thermomagnetic instability, although it is driven by the collisional thermal force magnetic source term rather than the Biermann battery term. The gradient in ion charge state causes a gradient in collisionality, which couples with temperature perturbations to create a self-generated magnetic field. This magnetic field deflects the electron heat flux in a way that reinforces the temperature perturbation. The derived linearized growth rate, typically on hydrodynamic timescales, includes resistive and thermal smoothing. It increases with large ion composition gradients and electron heat flux, conditions typical of the hohlraum walls or contaminant mix jets in inertial confinement fusion implosions. However, extended magneto-hydrodynamic simulations indicate that the instability is usually dominated and stabilized by nonlinear Nernst advection, in a similar manner to the standard thermomagnetic instability.

Demonstration of bright x-ray sources from solid and foam TiO2 targets at the Shenguang-III prototype laser facility

Enhancement of x-ray sources from laser-produced plasmas is significant in wide-ranging applications. Solid and foam TiO2 targets were both used to generate bright x-ray sources at the Shenguang-III prototype laser facility, with a total laser power of 3.2 TW. The new foam targets were with an ultra-low initial density of 8.1 mg/cm3 and a high Ti fraction of 33 sat. %. By absolute measurements, the multi-keV x rays of the 4 keV–7 keV band and 1.6 keV–4.4 keV band and the total x rays above 0.1 keV of the foam target have simultaneously shown conversion enhancements of 1.4, 3.1, and 2.3 times, respectively, compared with the solid target. A much larger emission volume and an average electron temperature of 3.2 keV by moving the foci of laser beams inner were obtained for the foam target, providing a good condition for multi-keV x-ray production.

Параметры микроканальной структуры в начальной фазе искрового разряда в воздухе атмосферного давления в промежутке острие-плоскость

The results of investigations of the microstructure in the initial phase of a spark discharge in air in the 1.5 mm long gap between a tip and a plane are presented. Measurements show that, within 15 ns after breakdown, the channel is a set of a large number of microchannels, the current in the channel grows almost linearly up to 1 kA, and the electron concentration reaches the value of 2 • 10^19 cm^(−3). Kinetic processes in a separate microchannel were calculated based on the experimental data. It was found that the average electron temperature is in the range of 4-8 eV, the electric field is ~ 300 kV/cm, and the electrical conductivity is ∼10 Ω^(−1)•cm^(−1). The obtained results indicate that it is just the microstructure of the discharge determines the relatively high values of the average electron temperature in combination with a sufficiently high degree of ionization.

Plasma parameters in very high frequency helium and argon plasmas at atmospheric pressure

A simple procedure has been proposed to estimate atmospheric-pressure (AP) plasma parameters based on the electric field simulation of a very-high-frequency plasma system including the impedance matching unit. The capacitively coupled plasma is generated between metal electrodes with a narrow gap, where the standard Langmuir probe method cannot be applied. The amplitudes of current density (J0) and voltage (V0) between the electrodes are determined by the three-dimensional computer simulation of the system in the impedance matched state using two experimental parameters (i.e., the separations between two parallel-plate capacitors) in the matching unit. Approximate analytical solutions relating the central electron density (n0) and the sheath thickness to J0 and V0 are derived based on a simplified inhomogeneous plasma model with collisional sheaths. The average electron temperature Te is estimated using a power balance relation between the total powers absorbed and lost in the ionizing plasma. The results on power dependences of n0 and Te show reasonable agreement with the predictions by the particle and power balance relations. In the case of AP plasma of Ar or He mixed with impurity or process gas molecules, it is impossible to determine Te. However, n0 can be obtained and the collisional energy loss per electron–ion pair creation (ɛc) can be estimated, which brings certain information on the change of plasma chemistry. Since the proposed procedure is simple and non-intrusive, it might become a useful tool for discussing AP plasma properties in process developments.

Mapping the relativistic electron gas temperature across the sky

ABSTRACT With increasing sensitivity, angular resolution, and frequency coverage, future cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiments like PICO will allow us to access new information about galaxy clusters through the relativistic thermal Sunyaev–Zeldovich (SZ) effect. We will be able to map the temperature of relativistic electrons across the entire sky, going well beyond a simple detection of the relativistic SZ effect by cluster stacking methods that currently define the state-of-the-art. Here, we propose a new map-based approach utilizing SZ-temperature moment expansion and constrained-ILC methods to extract electron gas temperature maps from foreground-obscured CMB data. This delivers a new independent map-based observable, the electron temperature power spectrum $T_{\rm e}^{yy}(\ell)$, which can be used to constrain cosmology in addition to the Compton-y power spectrum $C_\ell ^{yy}(\ell)$ . We find that PICO has the required sensitivity, resolution, and frequency coverage to accurately map the electron gas temperature of galaxy clusters across the full sky, covering a broad range of angular scales. Frequency coverage at $\nu \gtrsim 300\, {\rm GHz}$ plays an important role for extracting the relativistic SZ effect in the presence of foregrounds. For Coma, PICO will allow us to directly reconstruct the electron temperature profile using the relativistic SZ effect. Coma’s average electron temperature will be measured to 10σ significance after foreground removal using PICO. Low angular resolution CMB experiment like LiteBIRD could achieve 2σ to 3σ measurement of the electron temperature of this largest cluster. Our analysis highlights a new spectroscopic window into the thermodynamic properties of galaxy clusters and the diffuse electron gas at large angular scales.

Simulation of Discharge Characteristics for the Plasma Etching of Large Area SiO2 Substrates

The electron density distribution and average electron temperature distribution in reactive ion etching (RIE) chamber are of great significance for the ionization and excitation reaction rate. The uniformity of radial distributions of the electron density and average electron temperature in the discharge chamber greatly affects the uniformity of the etching, especially the plasma etching of large area SiO2 substrates. We study the effects of discharge conditions (including power and pressure) on the electron density and average electron temperature of plasma-etched 400 mm SiO2 substrates in the reactive ion etching chamber; the simulation results show that the allowable major discharge conditions strongly affect the characteristics of plasma in the large area reactive ion etching chamber. Specifically, with increase in the power both the electron density and average electron temperature increase, being accompanied by deteriorating uniformity of their radial distributions. As the pressure increases, the electron density increases but average electron temperature decreases, being accompanied by deteriorating uniformity of their radial distributions. These methods and conclusions can provide reference for the improvement of cavity structure and large area RIE equipment designing and selection of the process parameters.

Proposed a self-absorption internal standard model to detect element concentrations of complex constituent material with a single emission line of element in laser plasmas.

Laser induced plasmas (LIPs) method is a highly regarded approach to evaluate the chemical composition of materials. But the strong self-absorption of the radiation seriously affects its accuracy. Meanwhile, the model based on self-absorption phenomenon makes its application very difficult. In this work, a self-absorption internal standard (SAIS) model is proposed for detection of the multi-element concentrations of complex constituent material with a single emission line of the element in laser plasmas. A typical LIPs experiment system is set up to generate plasmas, and the soil is selected as a test sample. The average electron temperature (0.975 eV) and electron density (1.44×1018 cm-3) are determined by the Boltzmann plot and emission lines Stark broadening, respectively. The plasmas are diagnosed as in local thermodynamic equilibrium condition. The emission lines selected to calculate the concentration of sample contain a wide set of kt values (0.575×10-30∼37.2×10-30 m3). Then, the concentrations of some elements are calculated by the model using single emission line of each element. It is found that the concentrations of the five elements (Ti, Fe, Mg, Al, Si) calculated by SAIS model are relatively consistent with the results of the traditional chemical testing methods. This indicated that the SAIS model is an effective and neat method for multi-element concentrations detection of complex constituent materials.

Quantification of H/D content in Be/W mixtures coatings by CF-LIBS

In ITER, a remote handling laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) system is considered to be able to observe regions where deposition of thick layers is expected to occur and assess the retention of fuel on wall structures. The H and D contents of surface layers on divertor and first-wall materials have been intensely studied by LIBS but mostly by depth profile analysis of D. As far as we know, quantitative analysis of H/D in BeW mixed layer by calibration free-LIBS (CF-LIBS) has not been performed. Thus, the aim of this work is the quantification of the relative concentrations of D and H in Be-based material samples by CF-LIBS. The samples used were Be/W(67:33) as mixed homogeneous coatings (2 μm) on Mo substrates. Laser ablation was performed using a 1064 nm laser with 5 ns pulses. In order to enhance the resolution to distinguish H, D and in future T from each other, two different pressures were used: high vacuum and 0.5 mbar of Ar. Suitable Be and W spectral lines (without interferences and self-absorption) have been selected for precise evaluation of the electron temperature, Te, of the plasma using the Boltzmann plots. The electron density, ne, was extracted from the Saha equation using the average electron temperatures obtained from the Stark broadening of the Hα line. With these values, the D content of the samples has been calculated by CF LIBS as ∼4.7% ± 2.9%. These results are in a good agreement with thermal desorption spectroscopy measurements, which gives a 4–5 at% for the D content. In addition, the depth profile is similar to that recorded using secondary ion mass spectrometry.

Magnetic Holes Upstream of the Martian Bow Shock: MAVEN Observations

AbstractMagnetic holes (MHs) are pressure‐balanced structures characterized by distinct decreases in the interplanetary magnetic field strength in otherwise unperturbed solar wind. In this paper we present an analysis of MHs upstream of the Martian bow shock based on 3 months of observations by the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft. Plasma properties within and around these structures as well as their shape characteristics are examined. We find an occurrence rate of around 2.1 events per day. About 51% of all events are of linear type with magnetic field rotation across the hole less than 10°. We observe linear MHs both as isolated events and as part of a train of MHs. The proton temperature anisotropy inside MHs increases, while alpha particles remain mostly isotropic. The average electron temperature inside MHs modestly increases with increasing hole depth. The duration of linear holes at 1.5 AU shows an increase compared to durations at smaller heliocentric distances, but the structures remain asymmetrical and ellipsoid. A case study of MHs accompanied by a population of heavy pickup ions is also discussed.

Steve: The Optical Signature of Intense Subauroral Ion Drifts

AbstractLittle is currently known about the optical phenomenon known as Steve. The first scientific publication on the subject suggests that Steve is associated with an intense subauroral ion drift (SAID). However, additional inquiry is warranted as this suggested relationship as it is based on a single case study. Here we present eight occurrences of Steve with coincident or near‐coincident measurements from the European Space Agency's Swarm satellites and show that Steve is consistently associated with SAID. When satellite observations coincident with Steve are compared to that of typical SAID, we find the SAID associated with Steve to have above average peak ion velocities and electron temperatures, as well as extremely low plasma densities.

Evolution of statistical properties of microturbulence during transient process under electron cyclotron resonance heating of the L-2M stellarator plasma

The formalism of compound Cox processes was used for statistical analysis of turbulent density fluctuations of plasma during a transient process at electron cyclotron resonance heating of L-2M stellarator plasmas. Short-wavelength (k = 20–30 cm−1) density fluctuations in the central region of the plasma column were measured by the collective backscattering technique. The transient process was caused by sputtering of wall coating and subsequent pulsed impurity injection into the plasma after a step-like increase of the heating power. The evolution of the following parameters was studied: probability density function (PDF) and dynamic and diffusive components of variance of density fluctuations increments. It was found that density fluctuations increments increase simultaneously with average electron density increase and electron temperature decrease during the transient process. It was shown that the PDF of fluctuation increments is characterized by the existence of heavy tails and it can be represented as a composition of four normal laws. Deviation from normal law that happens in the form of random bursts was observed. Duration and frequency of the bursts increases with the level of fluctuation increments and this increase is accompanied by the increase of both components of the variance.