Role of the kinetic and potential sputtering in the regeneration of the soot

We have used the photoemission spectroscopy of the graphite hollow cathode sooting discharge to identify the roles played by the kinetic and potential sputtering, respectively. Our indicators are the relative densities of the sputtered carbon C, the Ne metastable atoms, and the ionized components (Ne+) of the regenerative sooting plasma. We find that the metastable atoms are the main agents for the regeneration of the soot.