Microwave Determination of Electron Concentrations in Flame Gases Used as a Spectroscopic Light Source*

Abstract

Direct determinations of the concentration of electrons in flame gases were needed to justify the method, described in the preceding paper, to eliminate the distortion of intensity-density curves due to ionization of the metallic flame additives. Measurements of the attenuation of a microwave beam upon crossing a column of flame gases were performed, and electron concentrations in an acetylene-air flame (T = 2500°K) containing one or mixtures of two alkali elements were obtained. The results indicate that the ionization of the metallic flame additives is thermally equilibrated in the flame zone chosen for the optical line-intensity measurements.