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Gas discharges and non-equilibrium low-temperature plasmas form the basis for most plasma technologies. This book introduces engineering and science students to the basic underlying physics and chemistry concepts that form the foundation of plasma science and engineering. It is an accessible primer directed primarily at those students who are unaware what a plasma or gas discharge is, nor have fundamental backgrounds in statistical thermodynamics, gas dynamics, fluid dynamics, or solid-state physics to effectively understand many plasma and gas discharge principles.The second edition covers additional topics such as gas breakdown leading to plasma initiation and the formation of sheaths, and discusses these within the context of a basic description of the most common plasma type, a dc glow discharge. This text is suitable for upper level undergraduate students, graduate students, and young researchers in physics, chemistry, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering with interest in plasma science and engineering.Key Features:Useful for students learning about the foundations of plasma science and engineering without any prior plasma experience or knowledge.Written in an accessible and easy to read style.Organized around fundamental concepts, rather than starting with plasma-specific concepts.Written by a leading expert in the field of plasma science.

This work concerns the computational modelling of the dynamics of partially ionized gases, with emphasis on electrodischarge processes. Understanding gas discharges is fundamental for many processes in mechanics, manufacturing, materials science, and aerospace engineering. This second edition has been expanded to include the latest developments in the field, especially regarding the drift-diffusion model and rarefied hypersonic flow.

This book presents the theory of gas discharge plasmas in a didactical way. It explains the processes in gas discharge plasmas. A gas discharge plasma is an ionized gas which is supported by an external electric field. Therefore its parameters are determined by processes in it. The properties of a gas discharge plasma depend on its gas component, types of external fields, their geometry and regimes of gas discharge. Fundamentals of a gas discharge plasma include elementary, radiative and transport processes which are included in its kinetics influence. They are represented in this book together with the analysis of simple gas discharges. These general principles are applied to stationary gas discharge plasmas of helium and argon. The analysis of such plasmas under certain conditions is theoretically determined by numerical plasma parameters for given regimes and conditions.

In response to the demands of contemporary solid material analysis-greater powers of detection, speed, depth, and precision-glow devices are receiving increased attention by specialists. This volume covers fundamental plasma processes, laser-based methods, thin film analysis, and many other processes to provide the researcher with an extensive technical reference of these devices.

Physical models of gas discharge processes in gas flows and numerical simulation methods, which are used for numerical simulation of these phenomena are considered in the book. Significant attention is given to a solution of two-dimensional problems of physical mechanics of electric arc, radio-frequency, micro-wave, and optical discharges, as well as to investigation of electrodynamic structure of direct current glow discharges. Problems of modern computational magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) are considered also. Prospects of the different kinds of discharges use in aerospace applications are discussed. This book is intended for scientists and engineers concerned with physical gas dynamics, physics of the low-temperature plasma and gas discharges, and also for students and post-graduate students of physical and technical specialties of universities.

A electric glow discharge is a type of plasma formed by passing a current at 100 V to several kV through a gas at low pressure, usually argon or another noble gas. It is found in products such as fluorescent lights and plasma-screen televisions, and is used in plasma physics and analytical chemistry. A tokamak is a machine producing a toroidal magnetic field for confining a plasma which is characterized by azimuthal (rotational) symmetry and the use of a plasma-borne electric current to generate the helical component of the magnetic field necessary for stable equilibrium. It is one of several types of magnetic confinement devices, and is one of the most-researched candidates for producing controlled thermonuclear fusion power. This book discusses and presents current data on both glow discharges and tokamaks.

Glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES) is an essential technique for the direct analysis of bulk solids, for elemental surface analysis and for the depth profiling of thin films and industrial coatings. The technique has shown rapid growth in numbers of instruments, in breadth of applications, in improved quantification in recent years and is now a recognised technique within the ISO, with two international standards. Glow Discharge Optical Emission Spectroscopy: A Practical Guide takes the reader on a journey through instrument operation, sample preparation, analysis, and reporting results. It follows two sets of samples through the whole process of analysis, brass samples for bulk analysis, and zinc-coated steel for depth profiling. Procedures are consistent with recent ISO standards and each step is loaded with hands-on tips and theoretical insight. The book also includes unique data tables on spectral interferences, molecular bands, self-absorption and relative sputtering rates. This book is designed for those using or managing GDOES instruments and for students interested in learning the technique from a hands-on perspective. It is also an invaluable aid to those considering the purchase of a GDOES instrument, or those using GDOES results, to understand in detail how the technique works and what is involved in maintaining the instrument and achieving high quality results.

Glow discharge devices have been utilized as spectrochemical sources for over one hundred years, dating back to the earliest studies of atomic structures. It has only been during the last 40 years that they have been employed in the arena of chemical analysis. Glow Discharge Plasmas in Analytical Spectroscopy presents the state of the art in the use of these devices across a wide range of applications, including materials science, environmental analysis, and bioanalytical chemistry. Glow discharge devices are well known for their application in direct solids elemental analysis of metals and alloys by optical and mass spectrometries. These basic capabilities have been extended to the analysis of non-conducting materials such as glass and ceramics and the depth resolved analysis of all kinds of technical materials. This multi-author, edited volume includes chapters which deal with both basic and highly complex applications. Glow discharge devices are now being used in very novel ways for the analysis of liquids and gases, including molecular species detection and identification, an area that was beyond the perceived scope of applicability just ten years ago. It is expected that the next decade will see a growth in the interest and application of glow discharge devices far surpassing the expectations of the last century.