RECOMBINATION OF ARGON IN AN EXPANDING PLASMA-JET

This paper deals with the behavior of an electron gas in an expanding plasma jet in argon. From the measurements, obtained using a high-quality Thomson-Rayleigh scattering diagnostic, it is shown that the collisional-radiative recombination of argon is small. However, the three-particle recombination plays a determining role in the heating of the electron gas. From the relation between the electron density and the electron temperature in the first part of the expansion, the three-particle recombination coefficient is calculated, which shows good agreement with previous results reported in the literature.