Džafer Čamdžić ’22
Major: Environmental Physics
Research Collaborators: Shalese Lovell; Brian Logan Henning; Anni Zettl
Faculty Collaborator: Adam Light, Physics
We refurbish a Jarrell-Ash Model 82-000 monochromator for the purpose of observing emission spectra and rotational temperature of nitrogen within an atmospheric pressure plasma jet. Adapting the device to our requirements presented a series of obstacles which were overcome with applications of spectroscopy and electronics. The prominence of research on low-temperature plasma has lately increased due to its proven effectiveness in decontamination. To ensure proper implementation of plasma jets, a method such as optical emission spectroscopy is necessary for determining the prevalence of molecules and emission peak characteristics. Our goal was to manufacture a device capable of performing such tasks by analyzing the breakdown of specific PFAS chemicals. Our Czerny-Turner monochromator was fitted with a 1P28 photomultiplier (PMT). The output signal from the PMT was fed into a transimpedance amplifier and an RC integrator before reaching a model 2204A PicoScope where the data was saved and the emission peaks could be properly analyzed. Our setup represents a straightforward, low-budget method with which to perform optical emission spectroscopy for a given purpose.
