Production of Atomic Iodine by Decomposition of Methyl Iodide by the Products of a Glow Discharge Plasma in a Flow of Oxygen

The concentration of atomic iodine is measured by decomposing methyl iodide by the afterglow products of a dc glow discharge in a vortex flow of oxygen at pressures from $6$ to $24$ torr, at a flow rate of $4.2$ mmol/s, currents of up to $500$ mA, and a discharge power of up to $370$ W. The experimental results are interpreted using the kinetic model developed by the authors, which includes the reactions of atomic oxygen with methyl iodide and the reactions between the resulting products. The produced concentrations of atomic iodine of up to $1.3 \times 10^{15}$ cm$^{-3}$ are sufficient for use in the active medium of an oxygen-iodine laser.