Plasma chemistry induced by low energy electron beams

A table top setup for studying plasma chemical reactions is described. Low energy (15 keV) electrons are used to induce the chemical reactions. The experiments are performed with pure gases and gas mixtures at atmospheric pressure. The radiolysis of CO2 is studied as an example and a G-value of 3 was achieved for a gas flow of 14 ml/min. The experiments were performed with a total beam power of 450 mW sent into a gas cell with a volume of 40 mm3. Mass spectrometry and a spectroscopic study were used for diagnostics. A catalytic effect of xenon for the splitting of CO2 molecules was observed and supported by comparative measurements with Ar-CO2 and Ar-Xe-CO2 mixtures. The power deposition profiles in the target cell are discussed on the basis of a numerical model.