Determination of HID electrode falls in a model lamp II: Langmuir-probe measurements

Abstract A special measuring method with Langmuir probes was established which yields the plasma potential in high-pressure plasmas to determine separate cathode and anode falls of HID electrodes. The probes consist of two tungsten wires which are inserted via side arms into the discharge tube of a model lamp. Their bended ends form together a full circle which surrounds the arc at its boundary. One probe is operated at floating potential with the other one a current-voltage characteristic of the probe is recorded. Its shape corresponds to that taken with a plane probe in a low-pressure plasma. Taking into account the radial voltage drop between the axis and the boundary of the arc, it was shown that the inflection point between the retarded electron current and electron saturation current represents the plasma potential in the arc axis. The electrode falls were determined by an extrapolation of the plasma potential which was measured along the arc axis towards the electrodes. Cathode and anode fall measurements at tungsten electrodes of different diameters are presented which were performed with an arc in argon at 0.26 MPa at currents between 1.5 and 6 A