A new method for detecting Penning electrons of impurities and the prospects of its use for the development of innovative energy-resolving gas analyzers

A critical analysis of the experimental works on the detection of various impurities in helium buffer gas carried out using plasma electron spectroscopy has been performed. A new technique was proposed to expand the capabilities for determining the energy of characteristic electrons resulting from Penning ionization reactions of detectable impurities under conditions where plasma electron spectroscopy is not applicable. The method is based on multiple potential differentiations of the currentvoltage characteristics of a collisional (non-Langmuir) probe, with the number of differentiations determined by specific measurement conditions and the accuracy of probe characteristics. Experimental test work was carried out to detect various impurities in buffered helium at a pressure of up to 100 Torr, as a result of which the operability and practical applicability of this method were demonstrated. It is most relevant to the detection and identification of impurities at high gas pressures, and can be used to develop new energy-resolving sensors for gas chromatography.