Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) is a common method for characterizing radio frequency (RF) discharge plasmas. Particulary, helicon plasma is featured by its high plasma density among all RF-excited plasmas. In order to obtain the spatial-resolved information of a helicon plasma, local optical emission spectroscopy (LOES) with a 3 mm spatial resolution was proposed and carried out to evaluate the local electron density and temperature. The plasma emission intensity via LOES was measured and compared with the electron density obtained by a RF-compensated Langmuir probe (LP) in Ar, N ₂ and Air helicon plasmas, respectively. The results revealed that there existed a functional relationship between some specific lines (LOES) and electron density (LP). Further, helicon plasma characteristics under capacitive (E) , inductive (H), and helicon (W) modes were systemetically investigated based on LOES. Besides, two-dimensional (2D) contour maps for plasma distributions were made via LOES as well. It was found that in E- and H-modes, axial profiles of plasma density and electron temperature were consistent under two opposite magnetic field directions. However, in W-mode, the plasma presented an asymmetric axial profile along the tube. As for radial profiles, plasma distribution varied under three discharge modes due to different heating mechanisms in Ar, N ₂ or Air helicon plasma. A deeper analysis indicated that the bulk absorption comes from the coupling of the helicon wave in Ar helicon plasma while the power depositions in N ₂ and Air helicon plasma are mainly dominated by the TG wave.

Blue core (BC) is a special spectral phenomenon in argon helicon plasma, with intense blue lights from ion emission around the radial center of discharge tube. In this paper, the characteristics of BC in argon (Ar) helicon plasma were investigated experimentally from aspects of discharge mode transitions, plasma spatial distributions, and spectral features. It is found that the BC generally appears at strong magnetic field (480 G or above in this work) with high plasma density in wave mode, accompanied by exponentially rising of ion line intensity. The electron density and temperature, the neutral density and temperature, and the line emission intensity show a radial profile with a central peak in BC mode. The steep gradient of ion line intensity (corresponding to the ion density) defines a clear boundary of the core. Further, a pressure balance model was developed to investigate the influence of neutral depletion on BC formation. The neutral density is depleted significantly from $7.24\times {10}^{13}$ to 0.38 × 10¹³ cm⁻³ at magnetic field of 600 G in BC mode, while to 3.13 × 10¹³ cm⁻³ at magnetic field of 250 G in normal wave (NW) mode. The ionization rate in BC reaches as high as 70% compared with 9.6% of that in NW mode. The ionization rate and the ion line intensity show similar radial profiles, indicating the BC phenomenon is closely related to the distribution of peaked ion density and hollowed neutral density. Fundamentally, the central electron heating and strong magnetic field contribute to the centrally local high ionization rate and strong neutral heating. The severe neutral depletion with prominent central heating is considered to be the immediate cause of appearance of blue core.

This paper deals with an experimental study regarding the spatial–temporal evolution of single wire explosions in air and water at atmospheric pressure. Experiments were carried out with a microsecond timescale pulsed current source under 500 J stored energy. The morphology of the exploding wire with different discharge type, wire material, insulating coat, and ambient medium was intensively observed via self-emission images. The results revealed that the plasma radiation of wire explosion in air mainly contained two stages: initial intense radiation from optically thick plasma, and later decaying radiation from expanded arc-like plasma. A hollow structure was observed in a Cu exploding wire in air, and the plasma channel tended to develop inside it. As for W case, there would always be a core-corona structure, resulting in lower expansion rate and shock wave strength. Moreover, the plasma radiation of the underwater wire explosion was mainly determined by two factors: expansion rate and chemical reaction. The expansion rate of the radiant region in water was only 10 ^–1 mm μ s ^–1 level (1 mm μ s ^–1 level for air), leading to the lagging radiation. No noticeable difference in morphology was found between Cu and W wire explosions in water. Particularly, the Al wire explosion generated a bright light emission due to chemical reactions. Finally, radiative characteristics in an exploding wire were preliminarily concluded and existing problems proposed.

In this paper, multiple wave modes and transitions of argon helicon plasma excited by a half right-helical antenna in a system without any reflection endplate are investigated experimentally and theoretically at increasing radio frequency (RF) powers and external magnetic fields. Experiments show that above a critical magnetic field strength and pressure (about 250 G and 0.3 Pa in this work), two to four distinct wave-coupled modes and transitions were observed at increasing RF powers and/or magnetic fields. Theoretical analysis based on the dispersion relationship shows that in a high magnetic field, the helicon wave of the lowest order of axial eigenmode is always excited first, then the higher-order axial or radial mode; hence, the plasma density increases after mode jumping. There are two mechanisms responsible for the wave mode transitions in the present system, i.e. axial and radial mode transitions due to the change of axial and radial wavenumbers from a lower eigenmode to a higher one. A higher plasma density and magnetic field are helpful for achieving more higher-order modes of helicon waves.

Nitrogen (N ₂ ) helicon plasma is produced with radio frequency (RF) right-helical antenna at low pressures. Several wave modes and their transitions of N ₂ helicon discharge are observed experimentally. Blue Core phenomenon is achieved at high magnetic fields and high RF powers, with strong local blue light emissions of N II lines and high electron temperature inside the core area. Based on actinometric ratio and pressure balance model, species kinetics of N ₂ helicon plasma are analyzed. It is shown that about 79% of N ₂ molecules are dissociated and about 49% of the neutrals are ionized inside the Blue core in high magnetic field of 850 G and RF power of 2200 W. Nearly 99% of N ₂ molecules inside the core area are depleted considering the neutral density before and after discharge, from 7.3 × 10 ¹³ cm ⁻³ to 6.5 × 10 ¹¹ cm ⁻³ . Serious neutral depletion of N ₂ and N neutrals and high electron temperature are suggested to be the dominant causes for significant enhancement of central N II emissions (blue lights). Meanwhile, evolution of reaction processes indicates that N ionization and N ⁺ excitation become dominant in BC mode. Besides, external magnetic field is an important factor to control the discharge mode transitions as well as the radial distributions of plasmas. From the calculated results of dispersion relation, the cavity mode resonance, rather than antenna coupling resonance, of helicon waves plays a dominant role on the wave mode formation and RF energy coupling between RF antenna and plasma. The mode transition results from excitation of helicon wave of higher axial eigenmode. N ₂ helicon plasma shows different characteristics from argon in mode transition, spectral emission and Blue Core formation. It is due to the high dissociation energy of N ₂ molecules (9.8 eV) and extensive dissociation and ionization processes. This results in a higher RF power as well as magnetic field for helicon wave coupled mode in N ₂ helicon plasma than that in Ar plasma.

This paper deals with an experimental study of a copper wire explosion in air and water at atmospheric pressure. The influence of the stored energy, discharge type, ambient medium on the electrical and optical characteristics of a single wire explosion was examined and clarified. Particularly, optical emission spectroscopy as well as self-emission image diagnosis were conducted to understand the radiant and quenching process of the explosion. The results revealed that the radiation mainly contained two stages: a white light (continuous spectrum) flash soon after the moment of explosion, and a long period of line radiation of Cu ions/atoms in the following dozens of microseconds. By analysing characteristic lines, Cu ²⁺ was found in the very early stage of the expansion of the discharge channel (DC). Besides, obvious line radiation of O and N ions/atoms was found when there existed a current pause. As for plasma parameters, the Boltzmann plot method indicated that the average temperature of explosion products was ∼1 eV, while the electron density experienced an apparent attenuation as the expansion of DC. In addition to this, the optical emission in air and water followed two distinctly different patterns, relating to the expansion of DC and diffusion of the ambient medium.