Undergrad Interpreting Copper & Argon Emission Spectral Lines with Plasma Spectroscopy

[jagadeeshr]

Hi,

I recently started working on MPD Thrusters. During a recent experiment, spectral images (uncalibrated) were obtained.

The thruster is made of copper and the propellant is argon. These two elements will be the source of emission spectral lines.

I need help to interpret them. I have attached spectrums and profiles.

Thank you.

Spectrum 1

Spectrum 2

Spectrum 3

 

[Mzzed]

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by interpret but you may find this website (http://physics.nist.gov/PhysRefData/ASD/lines_form.html)really useful in determining where the lines are coming from if you ever manage to calibrate the spectrometer for the exact wavelengths. Even if you don't, I think you should be able to find the brightest lines from C and Ar between roughly 400 and 700nm and roughly compare these with the image? Other than that, from what I can see there isn't too much more you can get from an un-calibrated image, I may be wrong though.

 

[jagadeeshr]

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by interpret but you may find this website (http://physics.nist.gov/PhysRefData/ASD/lines_form.html)really useful in determining where the lines are coming from if you ever manage to calibrate the spectrometer for the exact wavelengths. Even if you don't, I think you should be able to find the brightest lines from C and Ar between roughly 400 and 700nm and roughly compare these with the image? Other than that, from what I can see there isn't too much more you can get from an un-calibrated image, I may be wrong though.

I would like to know the source of each line. Whether emitted by argon or copper?

 

[Mzzed]

I would like to know the source of each line. Whether emitted by argon or copper?

Try collecting the largest relative intensities (Rel. Int. column on the NIST website) from both the copper and Argon spectral line tables as I linked and compare the distances between them with the distances you obtained in pixels. This doesn't seem to be too accurate while it is un-calibrated so maybe even just do a quick google image search and match the brightest lines by eye?