Plasma plume propagation characteristics of pulsed radio frequency plasma jet

A 4 cm long helium cold atmospheric pressure plasma jet with pulsed radio frequency (rf) excitation was obtained by a copper electrode inside a quartz tube. The plasma bullet propagation characteristics common to the microseconds direct current pulse and kilohertz plasma jet is not observed in this case. The space-, time-, and wavelength-resolved optical emission profiles suggest the pulsed rf plasma channel out of the tube was strengthened by ions and metastables with longer life time than the rf period, and the plasma propagation was actually an illumination of the plasma channel caused by energetic electrons accelerated along the channel.