Eur. Phys. J. Appl. Phys. 28, 325-330 (2004)
https://doi.org/10.1051/epjap:2004194

Self-absorbing method to measure the population of the metastable levels in an argon microwave plasma at atmospheric pressure^*

¹ Grupo de Espectroscopía de Plasmas, Edificio A. Einstein (C-2), Campus de Rabanales, Universidad de Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
² Institute of Physics, Technical University, 8 St. Kliment Ohridski Blvd. BG.-1797 Sofía, Bulgaria
³ Dpto. de Física Aplicada, Campus de Rabanales, Universidad de Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain

Corresponding author: fa1cazal@uco.es

Received: 18 November 2003
Revised: 2 June 2004
Accepted: 4 August 2004
Published online: 23 November 2004

Abstract

Metastable atoms play an important role in the kinetics of plasmas. A self-absorbing method has been used to determine the population density of Ar(³P₀) and Ar(³P₂) atomic metastable levels and Ar(¹P₁) and Ar(³P₁) atomic resonant levels in an argon microwave discharge sustained by a surface wave at atmospheric pressure. Under the operative conditions investigated, the concentrations of these levels ranged from 10¹⁰−10¹² cm⁻³, being in agreement with those reported in the literature, which seems to indicate that this method could be used for this calculation.