Fundamental Properties of Aerosols Produced in Helium by a Direct Injection Nebulizer

Abstract

Fundamental properties of aerosol produced in helium by a direct injection nebulizer (DIN) are determined on a whole-field and spatially resolved basis by using optical patternation and phase-Doppler particle analysis, respectively. The spray structure realized with argon requires a helium gas flow rate higher than the rate for argon. The helium-generated aerosol generally exhibits larger droplet sizes and volume flux, lower mean droplet velocities, and lower droplet number densities than aerosols produced with argon. These findings collectively suggest that helium plasmas should be cooled by the aerosol to a greater extent than argon plasmas.