Characterisation of a nitrogen CCP at low pressure
Résumé
The present work is part of an endeavour to perform laboratory simulations of the chemistry of Titan, satellite of Saturn. In the atmosphere of Titan, composed of N2 and CH4, solid particles are produced by photochemistry and charged particles from Saturn's magnetosphere. We mimic this chemistry using a low-pressure capacitively coupled plasma (CCP), produced in a gas mixture representative of Titan's atmosphere. The production of solid particles in these discharges has already been observed, together with the delay in their formation and their effect upon the electron density. Here, we present a first contribution to this global task, by characterizing pure nitrogen CCPs (with a simpler chemistry) RF discharges. The study involves both modelling and diagnostics of the discharge plasma, aiming to compare simulations and measurements.