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Title: Effects of emitted electron temperature on the plasma sheath

Abstract

It has long been known that electron emission from a surface significantly affects the sheath surrounding that surface. Typical fluid theory of a planar sheath with emitted electrons assumes that the plasma electrons follow the Boltzmann relation and the emitted electrons are emitted with zero energy and predicts a potential drop of 1.03T{sub e}/e across the sheath in the floating condition. By considering the modified velocity distribution function caused by plasma electrons lost to the wall and the half-Maxwellian distribution of the emitted electrons, it is shown that ratio of plasma electron temperature to emitted electron temperature significantly affects the sheath potential when the plasma electron temperature is within an order of magnitude of the emitted electron temperature. When the plasma electron temperature equals the emitted electron temperature the emissive sheath potential goes to zero. One dimensional particle-in-cell simulations corroborate the predictions made by this theory. The effects of the addition of a monoenergetic electron beam to the Maxwellian plasma electrons were explored, showing that the emissive sheath potential is close to the beam energy only when the emitted electron flux is less than the beam flux.

Authors:
; ;  [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08543 (United States)
  2. Physics Department, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9 (Canada)
  3. Department of Engineering Physics, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22304210
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Physics of Plasmas
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 21; Journal Issue: 6; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS; ELECTRON EMISSION; ELECTRON TEMPERATURE; PLASMA SHEATH; SIMULATION

Citation Formats

Sheehan, J. P., E-mail: sheehanj@umich.edu, Kaganovich, I. D., Wang, H., Raitses, Y., Sydorenko, D., and Hershkowitz, N. Effects of emitted electron temperature on the plasma sheath. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4882260.
Sheehan, J. P., E-mail: sheehanj@umich.edu, Kaganovich, I. D., Wang, H., Raitses, Y., Sydorenko, D., & Hershkowitz, N. Effects of emitted electron temperature on the plasma sheath. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4882260
Sheehan, J. P., E-mail: sheehanj@umich.edu, Kaganovich, I. D., Wang, H., Raitses, Y., Sydorenko, D., and Hershkowitz, N. 2014. "Effects of emitted electron temperature on the plasma sheath". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4882260.
@article{osti_22304210,
title = {Effects of emitted electron temperature on the plasma sheath},
author = {Sheehan, J. P., E-mail: sheehanj@umich.edu and Kaganovich, I. D. and Wang, H. and Raitses, Y. and Sydorenko, D. and Hershkowitz, N.},
abstractNote = {It has long been known that electron emission from a surface significantly affects the sheath surrounding that surface. Typical fluid theory of a planar sheath with emitted electrons assumes that the plasma electrons follow the Boltzmann relation and the emitted electrons are emitted with zero energy and predicts a potential drop of 1.03T{sub e}/e across the sheath in the floating condition. By considering the modified velocity distribution function caused by plasma electrons lost to the wall and the half-Maxwellian distribution of the emitted electrons, it is shown that ratio of plasma electron temperature to emitted electron temperature significantly affects the sheath potential when the plasma electron temperature is within an order of magnitude of the emitted electron temperature. When the plasma electron temperature equals the emitted electron temperature the emissive sheath potential goes to zero. One dimensional particle-in-cell simulations corroborate the predictions made by this theory. The effects of the addition of a monoenergetic electron beam to the Maxwellian plasma electrons were explored, showing that the emissive sheath potential is close to the beam energy only when the emitted electron flux is less than the beam flux.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4882260},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22304210}, journal = {Physics of Plasmas},
issn = {1070-664X},
number = 6,
volume = 21,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 2014},
month = {Sun Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 2014}
}