Note: Refined possibilities for plasma probe diagnostics.

In an earlier publication, the ion mass determination technique was proposed using the Langmuir probe measurement results for low-pressure Maxwellian plasmas and their analysis, based on the Bohm effect and the Child-Boguslavsky-Langmuir (CBL) probe sheath model, allowing for probe sheath thickness and ion mass evaluations after the Bohm coefficient CBCyl ≈ 1.13 for cylindrical probes had been determined. In the present study, the step-front sheath model, being physically closer to the reality of gas discharge plasmas, was considered in order to correct the CBL sheath model results.

Note: The expansion of possibilities for plasma probe diagnostics.

The determination of ion mass for low-pressure Maxwellian plasmas has been proposed. It can be done using Langmuir probe measurements and the Bohm formula for the ion current density to a floating probe, due to this formula's reliance on ion mass. This goal was achieved by accurate measurements of xenon plasma parameters in the inductive discharge at pressure p = 2 ⋅ 10(-3) Torr using the Plasma Sensors VGPS-12 probe station with the cylindrical Langmuir probes.