Random walk of electrons in a gas in the presence of polarized electromagnetic waves: Genesis of a wave induced discharge
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur 208016 (India)
The average number of collisions N of seed electrons with neutral gas atoms during random walk in escaping from a given volume, in the presence of polarized electromagnetic waves, is found to vary as N=B({lambda}/{lambda}){sup 2}/[1+C({lambda}/{lambda})]{sup 2}, indicating a modification to the conventional field free square law N=A({lambda}/{lambda}){sup 2}, where {lambda} is the characteristic diffusion length and {lambda} the mean free path. It is found that for the field free case A=1.5 if all the electrons originate at the center and is 1.25 if they are allowed to originate at any random point in the given volume. The B and C coefficients depend on the wave electric field and frequency. Predictions of true discharge initiation time {tau}{sub c} can be made from the temporal evolution of seed electrons over a wide range of collision frequencies. For linearly polarized waves of 2.45 GHz and electric field in the range (0.6-1.0)x10{sup 5} V/m, {tau}{sub c}=5.5-1.6 ns for an unmagnetized microwave driven discharge at 1 Torr argon.
- OSTI ID:
- 21272751
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 16, Issue 10; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3254371; (c) 2009 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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