METHOD OF DETERMINING CONCENTRATION OF ELECTRONS IN PLASMA DEVICES Russian patent published in 2009 - IPC H05H1/00 

FIELD: physics; measurements.

SUBSTANCE: present invention pertains to plasma diagnosis and can be used for measuring electron concentration of plasma formations of varying geometry in a wide range of analysed parameters. The method of determining concentration of electrons in plasma devices involves putting a probe in a plasma chamber, generating plasma in the chamber, probing the plasma using low intensity direct current and plotting a volt-ampere characteristic. Concentration of electrons in the plasma can be determined from the volt-ampere characteristic. In the same conditions, plasma is generated and probed using cylindrical probes with different radii, and the volt-ampere characteristic is plotted. The probes have the same length, which is much larger than the radius. An empirical relationship between the values of electron concentration and the radius is drawn. An approximating function is chosen and extrapolated to zero radius. Electron concentration of undisturbed plasma is determined from the value of electron concentration at zero radius.

EFFECT: possibility of determining electron concentration of ionised medium at pressure up to atmospheric pressure.

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