About Book

Plasma may be the most abundant form of ordinary matter in the universe, although this hypothesis is currently tentative based on the existence and unknown properties of dark matter. Plasma is mostly associated with stars, extending to the rarefied intracluster medium and possibly the intergalactic regions. Applications of plasma physics are many and varied. Examples include controlled thermonuclear fusion, ionospheric physics, magnetospheric physics, solar physics, astrophysics, plasma propulsion, semiconductor processing, antimatter confinement, and metals processing. Plasma can be artificially generated by heating a neutral gas or subjecting it to a strong electromagnetic field to the point where an ionized gaseous substance becomes increasingly electrically conductive. This book elucidates the concepts and innovative models around prospective developments with respect to plasma physics. It talks about the different concepts and theories related to this subject in detail. It focuses on laser-plasma acceleration, astrophysical plasmas, tribological properties, physicochemical analysis, capacitively coupled plasma, plasma-optical systems, hybrid plasma and materials processing. It is a compilation of chapters that discuss the most vital concepts in the field of plasma physics. Coherent flow of topics, student-friendly language and extensive use of examples make this book an invaluable source of knowledge. The book is appropriate for those seeking detailed information in this area.

Preface............................................................................................................v

Chapter 1 Physical Processes and Plasma Parameters in a Radio-Frequency Hybrid Plasma System for Thin-Film Production with Ion Assistance......................................................................................................1

Abstract...................................................................................................1

1. Introduction............................................................................................2

2. Basic physical patterns underlying the design of a plasma

reactor......................................................................................................3

3. Design of a plasma reactor, which combines magnetron and

inductive RF discharge with external magnetic field....................7

4. Results of the gas-discharge plasma source studies......................9

5. Results of the plasma parameter examination when magnetron

and gas-discharge sources operate together..................................17

6. The effect of assisting ion flow on functional coating

structure................................................................................................18

7. Conclusions..........................................................................................21

Acknowledgements.............................................................................21

Chapter 2 Modeling of Novel Plasma-Optical Systems.....................................24

Abstract.................................................................................................24

1. Introduction..........................................................................................24

2. Plasma lens with a positive space charge cloud for focusing

intense negative char-ged particle beams......................................26

3. Plasma accelerator with open gas wall and closed electron

drift........................................................................................................35

4. The model of the plasma-dynamical filter for micro-droplets

eliminations..........................................................................................43

5. Conclusions..........................................................................................47

Acknowledgements.............................................................................48

Chapter 3 Physics of High-Density Radio Frequency Capacitively Coupled

Plasma with Various Electrodes and Its Applications.....................51

Abstract.................................................................................................51

1. Introduction..........................................................................................51

2. Production principle of conventional capacitively coupled

plasma...................................................................................................53

3. Effect of high secondary electron emission oxide on high-density

capacitively coupled plasma production........................................53

4. Effect of structured electrodes on high-density capacitively

coupled plasma production..............................................................58

5. Conclusions..........................................................................................67

Chapter 4 Physicochemical Analysis of Argon Plasma-Treated Cell Culture

Medium.......................................................................................................70

Abstract.................................................................................................70

1. Introduction..........................................................................................71

2. Material and methods........................................................................72

3. Results and discussion.......................................................................77

4. Summary and conclusions................................................................85

Acknowledgements.............................................................................86

Chapter 5 Laser-Induced Plasma and its Applications.......................................91

Abstract.................................................................................................91

1. Introduction..........................................................................................92

2. Laser–matter interaction....................................................................93

3. Pulsed laser ablation..........................................................................94

4. Laser-induced plasma formation.....................................................97

5. Plasma diagnostic techniques...........................................................98

6. Applications of laser-induced plasma..........................................110

7. Conclusions........................................................................................120

Chapter 6 Plasma-Enhanced Laser Materials Processing..................................130

Abstract...............................................................................................130

1. Introduction........................................................................................131

2. Laser–plasma coupling.....................................................................132

3. Plasma-enhanced laser processes...................................................137

4. Summary.............................................................................................147

5. Nomenclature.....................................................................................147

Acknowledgements...........................................................................148

Chapter 7 Mechanical and Tribological Properties of Plasma Deposited a-C:H:Si:O Films......................................................................................154

1. Introduction........................................................................................154

2. Experimental details.........................................................................155

3. Results and discussions...................................................................157

4. Conclusion..........................................................................................176

Acknowledgement.............................................................................177

Chapter 8 Nuclear Excitation Processes in Astrophysical Plasmas................181

1. Introduction........................................................................................181

2. Modification of a particular transition.........................................184

3. Stellar transition rates......................................................................195

4. Some selected examples...................................................................196

5. Conclusion..........................................................................................199

6. Acknowledgments.............................................................................200

Chapter 9 Physics of Quasi-Monoenergetic Laser-Plasma Acceleration of

Electrons in the Blowout Regime.......................................................204

1. Introduction........................................................................................204

2. Self-injection scenarios in the blowout regime...........................210

3. Suppression of continuous injection using negatively

chirped driving pulse.......................................................................224

4. Conclusion..........................................................................................229

5. Acknowledgements...........................................................................230

Citation......................................................................................................241

Index...........................................................................................................243

About Author

Esther Parrish pursued her Ph.D. in Photonics from Technical University, Doha. She has written numerous research articles and papers on laser weld machines, vacuum machines and pulsed laser deposition. She has served as a Guest Lecturer at Community College, Manama. She has also worked on the interaction of light with photonic crystals, quantum wells and superlattices; ultrafast and nonlinear optical phenomena in condensed matter systems; trapped ions and plasma physics. Parrish is an active member of several scientific and technical societies, where she continues to share her expertise and knowledge in the field of plasma physics.