STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF GLOW DISCHARGE IN ARGON WITH HOLLOW CATHODE

Abstract

This paper deals with studying into the modes of burning and structure of the glow discharge with a hollow cathode and a flat anode in argon. We have demonstrated that the electron beam usually leaving the cathode cavity in a high voltage (glow mode) disappears when the anode approaches the edge of the hollow cathode. In this case the discharge is burning only on the outer surface of the cathode plates forming the cavity. The anode motion does not affect essentially the properties of the discharge burning in the hollow mode. We have obtained the axial intensity profiles of the emission lines of argon atoms and ions in the hollow and glow modes for various gas pressure and discharge current values. We have also shown that the brightest lines correspond to the transitions from 3p54p to 3p54s levels. The lines corresponding to the transitions from higher levels as well as the emission lines of argon ions possess a rather low intensity.