How plasma parameters fluctuations influence emissive probe measurements

Relationship between the floating potential of an emissive probe and plasma potential oscillations is studied in the case of controlled oscillations of plasma parameters. This relationship is compared to a quasi-static model for floating potential oscillations that assumes a constant emission current and includes the fluctuations of plasma parameters (density and electron temperature). Two different plasma regimes are considered. In the first one, the model is coherent with experimental results. In the second, the model does not fulfill one of the assumption due to the evidence of emission current oscillations when the mean emission current exceeds a given threshold. This second regime highlights the importance of taking into account emission current oscillations in the interpretation of emissive probe measurements. Nevertheless, discrepancies are still observed between emissive probe floating potential and plasma potential oscillations.