Radiation of argon and helium supersonic plasma jets in a magnetoplasmadynamic source

A spectroscopic investigation is made of plasma jets from a stationary magnetoplasmadynamic source streaming into a rarefied medium. The spectral-composition radiation of argon and helium jets in the visibile region is investigated, and the populations of the upper atomic and ionic states in the initial gasdynamic segment of the jets are determined. The mechanisms governing the population and its dependence on the source operating conditions are shown.