Quantitative measurements of ground state atomic oxygen in atmospheric pressure surface micro-discharge array

The generation of atomic oxygen in an array of surface micro-discharge, working in atmospheric pressure He/O 2 or Ar/O 2 mixtures, is investigated. The absolute atomic oxygen density and its temporal and spatial dynamics are studied by means of two-photon absorption laser-induced fluorescence. A high density of atomic oxygen is detected in the He/O 2 mixture with up to 10% O 2 content in the feed gas, whereas the atomic oxygen concentration in the Ar/O 2 mixture stays below the detection limit of 10 13 cm −3 . The measured O density near the electrode under the optimal conditions in He/1.75% O 2 gas is 4.26 × 10 15 cm −3 . The existence of the ground state O (2 p 4 3 P ) species has been proven in the discharge at a distance up to 12 mm away from the electrodes. Dissociative reactions of the singlet O 2 with O 3 and deep vacuum ultraviolet radiation, including the radiation of excimer He 2 ∗ , are proposed to be responsible for O (2 p 4 3 P ) production in the far afterglow. A capability of the surface micro-discharge array delivering atomic oxygen to long distances over a large area is considered very interesting for various biomedical applications.