DC pseudo-glow discharge in nitrogen gas

The plasma properties from a DC pseudo-discharge have been studied in low-pressure nitrogen gas. The discharge took place between a virtual cathode and a mesh anode similar to a pulsed virtual cathode oscillator or vircators. The electric potential, electric field and space charge density of the glow discharge have been obtained in the axial and radial part of the glow discharge. The location of the virtual cathode was found at around 0.7 cm from the mesh anode. The axial and radial distributions of electron temperature and ion density have been measured using a double electric probe. The electron temperature varied between 0.5 and 1.4 eV, while the ion density varied from 7×1012 to 12×1012 cm−3, outside the electrodes.