Studies of Optically Pumped High-Pressure Nonequalibrium Plasmas

该项目的主要推力是对光泵浦的使用进行深入的实验和理论研究，作为直接电子撞击电离的替代方法，用于产生低平移温度（约500 K），高度非平衡，高压等离子体。该方法是基于CO激光器连续波红外辐射的共振吸收与非调和碰撞振动-振动能量传递相结合的方法。本工作将探讨以下问题：1)这些系统的主要机制和自由电子损失率是什么？2)能否在保持无条件稳定的情况下有效地提高电子密度？3)如何定量地预测自由电子与振动模式之间的耦合？

The main thrust of this project is an in-depth experimental and theoretical study of the use of optical pumping, as an alternative to direct electron impact ionization, for the production of low translational temperature (of the order of 500 K), highly non-equilibrium, high-pressure plasmas. The approach is based on the combination of resonant absorption of continuous wave infrared radiation from a CO laser with anharmonic collisional vibration-vibration energy transfer. The work will investigate the following questions: 1) What is the principal mechanism and the rate of free electron loss in these systems? 2) Can the electron density be increased efficiently while maintaining unconditional stability? and 3) How quantitatively can the coupling between free electrons and the vibrational mode be predicted?