RF Microplasmas for Energetic Species Generation

ABSTRACT: Physical Sciences Inc. and Tufts University propose to apply innovative, ground-breaking RF microplasma technology to the development of devices to generate ozone and other energetic species for a variety of commercial, military, and research applications. The proposed work follows from our successful Phase I effort, which achieved the first implementation of a prototype single-board linear RF micro-discharge array device in a discharge-flow reactor for quantitative determinations of ozone production from microplasmas in O2 and air at atmospheric pressure. The overall technical objective of the Phase II program is to develop and characterize a prototype ozone generator using compact, low-power RF/microwave microplasma technology. A secondary objective is to extend the micro-discharge technology to applications involving other energetic species such as metastable states of monatomic and diatomic gases, e.g. atomic rare-gas metastable state excitation for application to advanced high-energy laser concepts. BENEFIT: The successful development of an efficient, compact, RF-microplasma system for generating ozone will find application in bio-decontamination and purification useful for field production of potable water, air purification and surface sterilization. Field-portable decontamination units using micro-discharge based ozone generators will have important military applications for all of the military services.