Thermal Conductivity of an Electron Gas in a Gaseous Plasma

Abstract

The thermal conductivity of an electron gas in a gaseous plasma is determined by experimental techniques which have been improved over those reported in a previous article by Goldstein and Sekiguchi. A pulsed microwave is utilized to probe the plasma parameters as well as to selectively heat up the electron gas in a small volume of the elongated plasma. The photomultiplier tube detects the change in electron temperature by taking advantage of the phenomenon of "afterglow quenching." The experimental values for the thermal conductivity, which are determined by two different methods, are in good agreement. In the plasmas investigated, neon and helium, the degree of ionization is very low (${10}^{-5\mathrm{}}$-${10}^{-6\mathrm{}}$). However, the measured values of the thermal conductivity are still consistent with those obtained from the theoretical expression given by Landshoff, or Spitzer and Härm for a fully ionized gas.