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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/C002954/1
Title: Electron population measurements in nonequilibrium plasmas
Principal Investigator: Braithwaite, Professor NS
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
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Department: Physical Sciences
Organisation: The Open University
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 October 2004 Ends: 31 December 2004 Value (£): 18,684
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Plasmas - Technological
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
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Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
There has been renewed interest in using a 'hairpin' (microwave) resonator as a diagnostic probe for charged particle concentration in low pressure, discharge plasmas. The probe is essentially formed by a few millimetres of bare conductor at the termination of a microwave excited transmission line. The coupling of microwave power in the vicinity of the microwave antenna is dependent on the local electron density; tests have shown that it is sensitive to concentrations a small as 10^16 m^-3, well within the range of plasmas formed at low pressure in electrical discharges. Following recently reported improvements in its design and operation it is proposed to host a visit by the device's new champion, Dr R Piejak. The plan is to conduct a short series of experiments and analysis using existing facilities (a newly configured dual frequency capacitively coupled plasma system) at the Open University. The goals of the visit are to continue to improve the sensitivity and scope of the 'hairpin probe' method and to transfer the technique to our group; we are able to create realistic processing environments where a range of physical and chemical processes will make its operation more challenging.
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