On the creation and expansion of anode spots in an argon plasma impregnated with an acetone catalyst

This thesis provides a semi-qualitative treatment based on the experimental investigations on the formation and expansion of stable anode spots in an argon plasma impregnated with an acetone catalyst. The formation mechanism is interpreted in terms of electron attachment on the acetone droplets. The spot-ambient plasma interface has several characteristics of a stable spherical double layer. The spherical expansion of the spot into an underdense plasma is described from a self similar point of view. Also described, is the design and operation of a versatile electronic circuit which will allow a conventional oscilloscope or an X-Y recorder to be used as a transistor curve tracer to obtain either component or Langmuir curve characteristics