Mercury arc plasma in an axial magnetic field

The electron temperature of a mercury are plasma (are current 2·25 A and 2·5 A) has been measured spectroscopically in an axial magnetic field varying from zero to 1050 gauss. It has been noted that the electron temperature decreases with the increase of the magnetic field. Considering the physical processes involved in a mercury are discharge where the buffer gas is air and the pressure low, a model has been developed in which air plays the role of a quenching gas, and it has been found that in this type of discharge both atomic and molecular ions of mercury are present. Assuming the presence of both types of ions a radial distribution function for the electron density has been deduced and an expression for T e /T eB has been obtained. It has been found that within the range of (B/P) values used here the experimental results are in quantitative agreement, with the theoretical deduction. The increase of radial electron density in an axial magnetic field as obtained by the probe method can also be explained by the theory developed.