METHOD FOR PROBE DIAGNOSIS OF PLASMA AND APPARATUS FOR REALISING SAID METHOD Russian patent published in 2013 - IPC H05H1/00 

FIELD: physics.

SUBSTANCE: method involves placing a probe in plasma, applying discrete stepped voltage pulses to the probe, recording the voltage versus current curve, measuring potential of the plasma space; voltage of each next step in a pulse is greater than that of the previous step; steps are formed with time intervals between them during which potential on the probe is set equal to the potential of the plasma space. The duration of each step and time intervals between the steps is set not shorter than the restoration time of plasma quasi-neutrality. The apparatus for probe diagnosis of plasma has a power supply, a probe, a discrete stepped voltage pulse generator and a measuring unit, a trigger pulse generator connected to the discrete stepped voltage pulse generator. The discrete stepped voltage pulse generator consists of a switching unit, constant emf sources and a microprocessor which controls the switching unit, and the measuring unit includes a set of switched resistors.

EFFECT: high accuracy of determining plasma parameters.

7 cl, 3 dwg