Electron random walk and collisional crossover in a gas in presence of electromagnetic waves and magnetostatic fields
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur 208016, Uttar Pradesh (India)
- Kyushu University, Kasuga Kouen 6-1, Kasuga City, 816-8580 (Japan)
This paper deals with random walk of electrons and collisional crossover in a gas evolving toward a plasma, in presence of electromagnetic (EM) waves and magnetostatic (B) fields, a fundamental subject of importance in areas requiring generation and confinement of wave assisted plasmas. In presence of EM waves and B fields, the number of collisions N suffered by an electron with neutral gas atoms while diffusing out of the volume during the walk is significantly modified when compared to the conventional field free square law diffusion; N=1.5({Lambda}/{lambda}){sup 2}, where {Lambda} is the characteristic diffusion length and {lambda} is the mean free path. There is a distinct crossover and a time scale associated with the transition from the elastic to inelastic collisions dominated regime, which can accurately predict the breakdown time ({tau}{sub c}) and the threshold electric field (E{sub BD}) for plasma initiation. The essential features of cyclotron resonance manifested as a sharp drop in {tau}{sub c}, lowering of E{sub BD} and enhanced electron energy gain is well reproduced in the constrained random walk.
- OSTI ID:
- 22130429
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 20, Issue 4; Other Information: (c) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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