Plasma Maintenance Mechanisms in Large-Volume Hollow Anode

The paper presents research into the low-pressure hollow-cathode and hollow-anode glow discharge. The data are obtained for the plasma potential, concentration and electron temperature in the hollow anode. The proposed model explains the plasma maintenance mechanisms in the hollow anode. The basic idea of the model is that the plasma inside the hollow anode is a potential electron trap. The discharge current is transported to the anode by not only electrons, but also ions. The plasma parameters in the hollow anode are estimated in this paper. It is shown that the theoretical calculations are in good agreement with the experimental data.