Optical Emission Spectroscopy for the Determination of Electron Energy Distribution Function in a He-Ar Glow Discharge Plasma

The electron energy distribution function in a helium-argon glow-discharge plasma was estimated from the absolute intensities of the Ar (I), Ar (II), He (I), and He (II) lines. By dividing the electrons into groups of different energy in accordance with the excitation thresholds of these lines, the fractional number density of electrons distributed to each region was determined so that the calculated rate of electron impact excitation was in agreement with the measured radiative transition rate.