Resonance radiation plasma (photoresonance plasma)

Abstract

A plasma formed by the action on a gas of monochromatic radiation whose frequency corresponds to the energy of a resonance transition in the atom is studied. The elementary methods of creating and studying a plasma of this type are analyzed. The kinetics of formation of a photoresonance plasma is studied, including collision processes with participation of excited atoms leading to formation of molecular ions and highly excited atoms, processes of stepwise ionization and triple recombination, and radiative processes. A photoresonance plasma is characterized by a high electron density with a relatively low electron temperature; for this reason the condition of ideality is more easily violated in a plasma of this type. Some ways of utilizing a photoresonance plasma are presented.