Investigation of a pulsed xenon discharge at medium pressure

The pulsed discharge in xenon at pressures between 10 and 50 Torr and a peak current of 130 mA has been analysed by means of a time-dependent, spatially one-dimensional fluid model. Main features of the model of the radially inhomogeneous discharge plasma in a discharge tube with an inner diameter of 6.5 mm are given. The comparison of results of model calculations with experimental data shows good agreement for the axial electric field, and the qualitative behaviour of measured axis densities of low-lying excited states is reproduced well by the model. The analysis of the spatiotemporal variation of the pulsed discharge shows the formation of a constricted column plasma at increasing pressure. In particular, a pronouncedly nonlocal behaviour of the electron component is found, and the densities of the metastable and resonance atoms are predicted to have a radial profile with a maximum out of the axis during the discharge phase.