TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of light irradiation on Townsend breakdown in helium at 5.2 K
AU - Lacoste, Deanna A.
AU - Muneoka, Hitoshi
AU - Guiberti, Thibault F.
AU - Pai, David Z.
AU - Urabe, Keiichiro
AU - Stauss, Sven
AU - Terashima, Kazuo
PY - 2014/2
Y1 - 2014/2
N2 - We report an experimental investigation of the light irradiation effect on the Townsend breakdown mechanism of plasma discharges in helium, at 5.2 K, for densities up to 23 mol l-1. The plasma discharges were generated in a pin-to-plane electrode geometry, separated by a gap distance of 5 μm. The pin electrode was the cathode. Two light sources, with wavelengths of 365 and 635 nm, were used. The influence of the pressure and the light flux was studied. Based on the results, a phenomenological interpretation of the effect of light irradiation on the breakdown mechanism is proposed. Photon-enhanced field emission of electrons could be of significant importance.
AB - We report an experimental investigation of the light irradiation effect on the Townsend breakdown mechanism of plasma discharges in helium, at 5.2 K, for densities up to 23 mol l-1. The plasma discharges were generated in a pin-to-plane electrode geometry, separated by a gap distance of 5 μm. The pin electrode was the cathode. Two light sources, with wavelengths of 365 and 635 nm, were used. The influence of the pressure and the light flux was studied. Based on the results, a phenomenological interpretation of the effect of light irradiation on the breakdown mechanism is proposed. Photon-enhanced field emission of electrons could be of significant importance.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84893669714&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1088/0963-0252/23/1/012002
DO - 10.1088/0963-0252/23/1/012002
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84893669714
SN - 0963-0252
VL - 23
JO - Plasma Sources Science and Technology
JF - Plasma Sources Science and Technology
IS - 1
M1 - 012002
ER -