Characterization of microwave plasma jet generated in argon-nitrogen mixtures

This thesis is concerned with influence of nitrogen admixture to non-thermal microwave plasma jet generated in argon flow at atmospheric pressure. Non-thermal plasma can be used in more biomedical applications such cancer treatment, blood coagulation, sterilization etc. It is necessary to know the changes of plasma composition and its parameters in dependence nitrogen concentration to avoid potentional damages of the treated tissue. Plasma jet was characterized by optical emission spectroscopy along its axis. Electron, vibrational and rotational temperatures were calculated from intensities of the selected spectral lines and bands emitted by particles generated in plasma. The results show increase of the nitric oxide concentration followed by the increase UVC radiation. Temperature of the neutral gas increase too, but not so much and thus jet with nitrogen addition can be still used for the treatment of thermosensitive materials such as human tissue. Study of the sterilization effect of microwave plasma generated in argon-nitrogen mixtures is still under progress. Some of the results obtained during this thesis were included in the paper submitted into Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics