Application of dust grains and Langmuir probe for plasma diagnostics

This paper presents the results of the analysis of the experimentally measured width of the dust-free region around a single electric probe in a dusty plasma of glow discharge. The experimental results were compared with the data of a theoretical study on the basis of the balance equation of the dust particles thermal energy and their electrostatic interaction energy with the probe. An alternative method for the determination of the buffer plasma parameters was developed by measuring the dust-free region area around the probe. Using this method the temperature and the concentration of electrons in an argon glow discharge plasma in the pressure range from P = 0.6 to P = 0.8 torr were determined.