Absolute and relative spectral line intensity measurements in a plasma shock tube

Abstract

A spectroscopic investigation of a plasma shock tube may reveal the number density and temperature of the constituents of the plasma. Such an investigation was conducted on a cylindrical fused quartz shock tube and a square, three inch aluminum shock tube in June-July, 1961. Deuterium and hydrogen plasmas were investigated separately. General characteristics including ringing frequency and longitudinal visible shock front velocity were determined. Spectral line analysis from a 1.7 meter quartz prism spectrograph permitted the determination of the shock tube impurities and relative line intensities. Use of the latter instrument in conjunction with a tungsten ribbon calibration lamp and a step filter provided an absolute intensity standard. For the hydrogen plasma, relative and absolute spectral line intensities were obtained which permitted calculation of ion and electron densities to 10 to the 17th power/cu cm and peak temperatures of 4 ev.