Plasma control by modification of helicon wave propagation in low magnetic fields

By making use of nonuniform magnetic fields, it is shown experimentally that control of helicon wave propagation can be achieved in a low pressure (0.08 Pa) expanding plasma. The m=1 helicon waves are formed during a direct capacitive to wave mode transition that occurs in a low diverging magnetic field(B₀<3 mT). In this initial configuration, waves are prevented from reaching the downstream region, but slight modifications to the magnetic field allows the axial distance over which waves can propagate to be controlled. By changing the effective propagation distance in this way, significant modification of the density and plasma potential profiles can be achieved, showing that the rf power deposition can be spatially controlled as well. Critical to the modification of the wave propagation behavior is the magnetic field strength (and geometry) near the exit of the plasma source region, which gives electron cyclotron frequencies close to the wave frequency of 13.56 MHz

Detailed plasma potential measurements in a radio-frequency expanding plasma obtained from various electrostatic probes

On-axis plasma potential measurements have been made with an emissive probe in a low pressure (0.044 Pa) rf expanding plasma containing an ion beam. The beam is detected with a retarding field energy analyzer (RFEA), and is seen to disappear at high pressure (0.39 Pa). The emissive probe measurements are in very good agreement with corresponding measurements made with two separate RFEAs, and the results indicate that the floating potential of the strongly emitting probe gives an accurate measure of the plasma potential under the present conditions

Particle-in-cell simulations of ambipolar and nonambipolar diffusion in magnetized plasmas

Using a two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation, we investigate cross-field diffusion in low-pressure magnetized plasmas both in the presence and absence of conducting axial boundaries. With no axial boundary, the cross-field diffusion is observed to be ambipolar, as expected. However, when axial boundaries are added, the diffusion becomes distinctly nonambipolar. Electrons are prevented from escaping to the transverse walls and are preferentially removed from the discharge along the magnetic field lines, thus allowing quasi-neutrality to be maintained via a short-circuit effect at the axial boundaries

Particle-in-cell simulations of hollow cathode enhanced capacitively coupled radio frequency discharges

A two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation has been developed to study density enhancement of capacitively coupled rf discharges with multi-slit electrodes. The observed density increase is shown to result from a hollow cathode effect that takes place within the multi-slit electrode configuration, which forms as a result of secondary electron emission due to ion bombardment. By investigating the ionization and power deposition profiles, it is found that rfsheathheating is too weak to sustain the discharge, and that secondary electron acceleration within the sheath is the primary heating mechanism. Due to a capacitive voltage divider formed by the rfsheaths at each electrode, the area ratio of the powered and ground electrodes is observed to have a strong effect on the resulting discharge, and if the ground electrode area is too small, the voltage drop at the powered electrode is too low to sustain a hollow cathodedischarge.The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Lam Research Corporation

Ion beam formation in a very low magnetic field expanding helicon discharge

An ion beam has been measured emerging from a low pressure (0.04 Pa) helicon plasma reactor over a narrow range of magnetic field values (1 mT<B0<3 mT). The presence of the ion beam occurs simultaneously with a large increase in the plasma density for the same applied magnetic field, produced using a single solenoid half the length of the m=1 rfantenna. The peak central plasma density of 1.5×10¹⁷ m⁻³ is measured to be almost 15 times larger than that occurring before or after the increase, and is associated with a steep axial density gradient which follows the gradient of the magnetic field. During this low magnetic field transition the antenna power transfer efficiency is measured to increase from less than 10% to 50%, suggesting some form of localized bulk electron heating in the source region associated with the helicon wave

Electron–cyclotron damping of helicon waves in low diverging magnetic fields

Particle-in-cell simulations are performed to investigate wave propagation and absorption behavior of low-field (B0<5 mT) helicon waves in the presence of a diverging magnetic field. The 1D electromagnetic simulations, which include experimental external magnetic field profiles, provide strong evidence for electron–cyclotron damping of helicon waves in the spatially decaying nonuniform magnetic field. For a dipole-type magnetic field configuration, the helicon waves are absence in the downstream (lower field) region of the plasma and are observed to be completely absorbed. As the magnetic field is changed slightly however, wave damping decreases, and waves are able to propagate freely downstream, confirming previous experimental measurements of this phenomenon

Can continental bogs with stand the pressure due to climate change?

Not all peatlands are alike. Theoretical and process based models suggest that ombrogenic, oligotrophic peatlands can withstand the pressures due to climate change because of the feedbacks among ecosystem production, decomposition and water storage. Although there have been many inductive explanations inferring from paleo-records, there is a lack of deductive empirical tests of the models predictions of these systems’ stability and there are few records of the changes in the net ecosystem carbon balance (NECB) of peatlands that are long enough to examine the dynamics of the NECB in relation to climate variability. Continuous measurements of all the components of the NECB and the associated general climatic and environmental conditions have been made at the Mer Bleue (MB) peatland, a large, 28 km2, 5 m deep, raised ombro-oligotrophic, shrub and Sphagnum covered bog, near Ottawa, Canada from May 1, 1998 until the present. The sixteen-year daily CO2, CH4, and DOC flux and NECB covers a wide range of variability in peatland water storage from very dry to very wet growing seasons. We used the MB data to test the extent of MB peatland’s stability and the strength of the underlying key feedback between the NECB and changes in water storage projected by the models. In 2007 we published a six-year (1999-2004) net ecosystem carbon balance (NECB) for MB of ∼22 ± 40 g C m-2 yr-1, but we have since recalculated the 1998-2004 NECB to be 32 ± 40 g C m-2 yr-1 based on a reanalyzed average NEP of 51 ± 41 g C m-2 yr-1. Over the same period the net loss of C via the CH4 and DOC fluxes were -4 ± 1 and -15 ± 3 g C m-2 yr-1. The 1998-2004 six-year MB average NECB is similar to the long-term C accumulation rate, estimated from MB peat cores, for the last 3,000 years. The post 2004 MB NEP has increased to an average of ∼96 ± 32 g C m-2 yr-1 largely to there being generally wetter growing seasons. The losses of C via DOC (18 ± 1 g C m-2 yr-1) and CH4 (7 ± 4 g C m-2 yr-1) while showing considerable year-to-year variability are not significantly different post 2004. Hence, the proportional loss of C as DOC and CH4 in the MB NECB is slightly less post-2004 than it was before 2004 though the cumulative errors preclude statistically differences. As a result the MB NECB has increased to 79 ± 29 g C m-2 yr-1 post 2004 yielding a 14 year contemporary NECB of 56 ± 36 g C m-2 yr-1, which is double the long-term accumulation rate of C. The variability in the annual NECB and growing season mean NEP for the MB bog can be explained (r2 = 0.35, p \u3c 0.01) by the variability in growing season water table depth. These results suggest the carbon balance – water table feedback is sufficient enough to create stability in continental bogs so they will withstand a considerable amount of climate change