A far-infrared interferometer for the measurement of electron concentration in flames and plasmas with high spatial resolution

✍ Scribed by A.K.F. Chan; A.R. Jones

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1983
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 524 KB
• Volume: 52
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0010-2180
• DOI: 10.1016/0010-2180(83)90132-3

✦ Synopsis

A far-infrared interferometer employing an HCN laser has been designed which uses only simple, inexpensive optical components. It can operate either as a lateral shearing or Mach-Zehnder-type intefferometer. Spatial resolution down to 0.5 mm in the test space was achieved. Good agreement was found with the theoretical resolution limit calculated from diffraction theory. The interferometer was used to measure electron densities in premixed flames with and without cesium seeding. The results confirmed the high electron concentration in the reaction zone of an unseeded methane-air flame.