RESEARCH ON EFFECTS OF ARC FLUCTUATIONS ON SPECTROSCOPICALLY DETERMINED TEMPERATURES IN ARC PLASMAS.

Results of time-resolved spectroscopic temperature measurements in small regions of a turbulent laboratory arc plasma generator are described. Techniques and instrumentation for carrying out time-resolved measurements are described. The effects of arc turbulence on apparent spectroscopic temperatures determined by conventional spectroscopic methods are demonstrated. The errors in average temperature measured by conventional spectroscopy as compared with the true average temperature in the same region of the arc determined by timeresolved spectroscopy are appreciable. No simple way was found to find true average temperatures in a turbulent arc plasma from apparent, conventional spectroscopic, average values. (Author)