The chemistry of carbon plasmas is a valuable and fascinating topic of research. One interesting species in these plasmas is C2. These molecules are short-lived and highly reactive. The mechanism of their formation is also not fully understood. C2 may exist due to an associative mechanism, where carbon ions or radicals combine to form the diatomic molecule. The alternative to this is the dissociative mechanism, where C2forms due to fragmentation from larger carbon species.In this study, we investigate carbon plasmas using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). In LIBS measurements performed at atmospheric pressure, the emission peaks resulting from C2 are poorly resolved. Thus, a vacuum chamber was constructed in order to control the pressure and limit the interaction between the plasma and the air. This degree of control will allow for reduction of several broadening factors, yielding better resolved spectra for the study of the chemistry of C2? molecules.

Investigating diatomic carbon in laser induced carbon plasmas

245th National Meeting (2013)

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