Study on the characteristics of hysteresis loop and resistance of glow discharge plasma using argon gas.

Hysteresis in discharge current is produced in a low-pressure, magnetic field free, Glow discharge plasma by varying discharge voltage. The variation in area of the hysteresis loops with pressure, electrode distance and load resistor studied. To understand, the nonlinear behaviour of the I-V characteristics, the changes in gas resistance with electrode voltage, pressure and load resistor were studied. After many trials we propose the best suitable empirical equation for the exponential decrease of the gas resistance with electrode voltage as; <italic>R</italic> = <italic>Rmin</italic> + <italic>Ae</italic>−0.008<italic>V</italic>, which is a novel one and matches well with our experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]