Insights into electron dynamics in low-temperature plasmas (Sedina Tsikata)

The use of low-temperature magnetized plasmas in industry is widespread, covering applications such as thin film deposition and space propulsion. These plasmas exhibit complex features, including instabilities and self-organization, many of which have only become the focus of research efforts in recent years. These phenomena are not only of academic interest – in some cases, they may also have a major impact on the performance of various devices.

Building an understanding of such physics is therefore necessary. One way in which such an understanding has been advanced is through the development and implementation of advanced laser diagnostics, providing access to information previously inaccessible in such devices. Another is in the combination of theoretical, numerical and experimental studies to revise current ideas on source operation. In this seminar, examples will be discussed showing how such approaches have been applied for the study of electron properties and fluctuations in low-temperature devices.