Investigating Argon Ions LIF Scheme for Dusty Plasma Relevant Conditions with High Magnetic Fields

The operating conditions of rf-capacitively coupled magnetized dusty plasma typically lie within a pressure range of 20-300 mTorr, and magnetic fields up to 3.5 Tesla. Application of traditional laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) techniques is affected by these pressures, as dominating ion-neutral collisions cause a depletion of the pumping states’ population density. This effort investigates an argon ion LIF scheme, with an excitation transition of 3d⁴F_7/2 → 4p⁴D⁰_5/2 at a wavelength of 668.613 nm (vac), and fluorescence emission at 442.72 nm. We report preliminary results of LIF experiments in the dusty plasma relevant conditions. Conducting LIF experiments aim to understand the thermal properties of ions in dust-ion interactions. Additionally, the effects of Zeeman splitting due to the high magnetic fields can be studied rigorously.