| AVS 61st International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Plasma Science and Technology | Tuesday Sessions |
| Session PS-TuP |
| Session: | Plasma Science and Technology Poster Session |
| Presenter: | James Mitrani, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory |
| Authors: | J. Mitrani, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory B. Stratton, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Y. Raitses, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
A DC arc discharge with a consumed graphite, anode electrode is commonly used for synthesis of carbon nanoparticles, including buckyballs, nanofibers, and nanotubes [1-3]. The graphite electrode is vaporized, leading to nanoparticle synthesis in a low temperature (0.1 – 1 eV), atmospheric pressure plasma. The formation of nanoparticles in this plasma is poorly understood. For example, it is not clear where nanoparticles nucleate and grow in the arc discharge. To tackle this problem, a laser-induced incandescence (LII) diagnostic for in situ monitoring of the nanoparticles’ spatial distribution in the plasma is currently being constructed. The LII diagnostic involves heating the particles with a short-pulsed laser, and measuring the resulting spatial and temporal incandescence profiles on longer timescales [4]. By appropriately modeling the spatiotemporal incandescence profiles, one can measure the particle diameters and volume fraction. LII diagnostics have been extensively used to study soot particles in various backgrounds, including laboratory flames, smokestacks, and engines. However, LII has only recently been applied to study engineered nanoparticles, and has never been applied in a strongly coupled plasma background, such as a carbon arc discharge. Even though the spatial scale-lengths for soot and nanoparticles are similar (10-100 nm), great care is needed in developing an LII diagnostic for monitoring nanoparticles in an atmospheric pressure plasma. Therefore, we will initially calibrate our LII diagnostic by measuring spatiotemporal incandescence profiles of known, research grade carbon particles, including soot and nanoparticles. Preliminary results of this study will be discussed. [1] C. Journet et al. Nature 388, 756-8 (1997); [2] A. J. Fetterman et al. Carbon 46 1322-6 (2008); [3] M. Keidar et al. Phys. Plasmas 17, 057101 (2010); [4] C. Schultz et al. Appl. Phys B 83, 333-54 (2006).