Summary:
Direct measurements of temporal evolution of the ion energy distribution functions (IEDFs) in a pulsed magnetized hydrogen plasma with a complex spatial structure are presented. The results show a remarkable split of the curves into two peaks of energy that draw away as the spatial structure expands until they reach a complete separation. The behavior is explained in terms of E × B drift velocity plasma dynamics and its influence on the IEDFs, with consequences for ion temperature measurements. The development of a criterion to calculate the ion temperatures allows us to obtain the temporal evolution of this parameter for the three ion species, H⁺, H₂⁺ and H₃⁺.
Keywords: ECR plasma source, ion energy distribution function, particle diagnostics, E × B drift
JCR Impact Factor and WoS quartile: 3,193 - Q1 (2019); 3,300 - Q1 (2023)
DOI reference:
https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6595/aaecc9
Published on paper: February 2019.
Published on-line: February 2019.
Citation:
O.D. Cortázar, A. Megia-Macías, Bimodal ion energy distribution functions in a hydrogen magnetized plasma. Plasma Sources Science and Technology. Vol. 28, nº. 2, pp. 1 - 9, February 2019. [Online: February 2019]
