Shock Tube Studies on the Nonequlibrium Electron Affinity Kinetics of Fluorine Atom at High Temperatures

To study electron affinity kinetics, a shock tube method was applied, in which the test gas was ionized by a reflected shock wave and subsequently quenched by a strong rarefaction wave. As the quenching speed of 106 K/s was reached, a nonequilibrium ionizationrecombination process occurred, which was dominated by ion recombination with electrons. A Langmuir electrostatic probe was used to monitor variation in the ion number density at the reflection shock region. The working state of the probe was analyzed, and a correction was introduced for reduction of the probe current due to elastic scattering in the probe sheath. The threebody electron affinity rate coefficient of the fluorine atom over the temperature range 1200 to 2200 K in an ambiance of argon gas was directly determined. The temperature dependence of electron affinity rate coefficient was discussed.