A study on plasma parameters in He-Se gas discharge

Electron temperature and concentration in a laser-like He-Se discharge have been measured by the double-probe method. Under the experimental conditions, electrons possessing lower energy than the He excitation potential featured a Maxwellian speed distribution, since the number of elastic collisions between electrons and He atoms was unrelated to their speed. An expression was derived for approximately explaining the observed He and Se ion concentrations. Axial electric field intensity proved consistent when measured from probe to probe; thus the cataphoresis mechanism maintains an adequately uniform concentration of Se vapor all along the positive column.