PLASMA ELECTRON DENSITY MEASUREMENTS BY LASER- AND COLLISION-INDUCED FLUORESCENCE METHOD

A new method based on the laser-induced fluorescence method has been developed to measure the spatial electron density distribution in plasmas. The local electron density can be determined by observing the intensity ratio of the laser- to the collision-induced fluorescence. A spatial electron density distribution of a helium plasma (Te approximately 6 eV, ne:1011-12 cm-3) has been determined by observing the He(31P to 21S) laser-induced fluorescence and the He(31D to 21P) collision-induced fluorescence resulting from the He(31P to 31D) process due to collisions with electrons. The comparison of the result with that of a conventional method proves this new method is of practical use in the space-resolved measurements of plasma electron density.