AC Glow Discharge Plasma in N2O

H. Martinez Centro de Ciencias Fisicas, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Cuernavaca, Morelos, P.O. Box 48-3, 62251, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico A. Robledo-Martinez Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana Azcopotzalco, Mexico, D.F F. Castillo Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, UNAM, Mexico, D.F. This paper considers the optical and electrical characterization of AC glow discharge plasma in the abnormal glow mode used for optical emission spectroscopy. The total discharge current and applied voltage are measured using conventional techniques. The electrical characteristics of the planer-cathode glow discharge confirmed that the plasma is operating at abnormal discharge mode characterized by the increases in the operating voltage as the current was raised under given pressure. Optical emission spectroscopy was used to determine the main emission lines of the glow discharge plasma of N2O at pressures between 0.5 and 4.0 Torr. It shows that the discharge emission range is mainly within 300-400 nm. The emission lines correspond to NO, O2, and O2+{expression} are the dominant lines in the glow discharge plasma in the present study. Intensity of the emission lines show linear increase with the discharge current up to 0.4 A followed by saturation at higher currents. No emission lines were observed in this work corresponding to atomic oxygen or nitrogen.