For nonthermal atmospheric plasma sources, an improved understanding of atomic and molecular energetic states as well as radical species production are critical in developing practical technologies in many areas, including plasma aided combustion, disinfection, fuel reforming, and plasma actuators. The goal of this in-house research effort is to study the gas phase kinetics and radical chemistry associated with non-equilibrium atmospheric plasma sources. Research opportunities include the quantification of energy distributions within an atmospheric micro-discharge by laser scattering diagnostics, the investigation of novel resonant laser ionization schemes as a precursor for gas breakdown, the analysis of the ion chemistry leading to ignition of advanced fuel molecules, and the development of a plasma electron spectroscopy technique within a micro-discharge for real-time gas monitoring of a combustion system. Advanced spectroscopic in-house capabilities include mass spectroscopy, optical emission spectroscopy, Rayleigh, Raman, and Thompson laser scattering techniques; multiphoton laser ionization; and electronic probe spectroscopy. These methods are used to determine fundamental rate constants, product distributions, and process kinetics of the non-equilibrium gas.

 

References

S F Adams, J A Miles, T M Ombrello, R S Brayfield, and J K Lefkowitz, Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, Vol 52, No. 35, 355203 (2019)

 M Gragston, J Sawyer, S F Adams, Y Wu, and Z Zhang, Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 125, 203301 (2019)

 

key words

Laser spectroscopy; Plasma physics; Rayleigh scattering; Micro discharges; Electron energy distributions; Ion chemistry; Atomic spectra; Multiphoton absorption;

Citizenship:  Open to U.S. citizens

Level:  Open to Postdoctoral and Senior applicants