Advanced diagnostic techniques for thermal plasmas
Characterization of high power plasma devices and processes requires the direct measurement of heavy particle temperature, electron temperature, electron number density, plasma velocity, and composition. Traditional diagnostic techniques, such as emission spectroscopy, which rely on the assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium are questionable at best for high velocity flow fields. Because of nonequilibrium and demixing effects, direct measurements which do not rely on assumptions of local thermodynamic equilibrium or composition are necessary.