Temporal relaxation of plasma electrons acted upon by direct current electric and magnetic fields

Journal Article · Fri Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1999 · IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/27.799802· OSTI ID:20005560

Loffhagen, D; Winkler, R

Studies of the temporal relaxation of electrons in non-isothermal, collision dominated plasmas represent a topic of widespread interest. Some illustrative examples are high-speed switching techniques, high-frequency discharges, after-glow decay, particular technical operation of plasma light sources and plasma processing reactors as well as problems of gas laser physics and swarm techniques (used, e.g., to determine cross sections from transport data). On the basis of the time-dependent electron Boltz-Mann equation the temporal relaxation of the electrons in the presence of electric and magnetic fields in weakly ionized, collision dominated plasmas has been studied. The relaxation process is treated by using a strict time-dependent two-term approximation of the velocity distribution function expansion in spherical harmonics. A new technique for solving the time-dependent electron kinetic equation in this two-term approximation for arbitrary angles between the electric and magnetic fields has been developed and the main aspects of the efficient solutions method are presented. Using this new approach and starting from steady-state plasmas under the action of time-independent electric fields only, the impact of superimposed dc magnetic fields on the electron relaxation is analyzed with regard to the control of a neon plasma. The investigations reveal an important effect of the magnetic field on the temporal relaxation process. In particular, it has been found that the relaxation time of the electron component with respect to the establishment of steady-state can be enlarged by some orders of magnitude when increasing the magnetic field strength.

• Research Organization: Inst. fur Neidertemperatur-Plasmaphysik, Greifswald (DE)
• OSTI ID: 20005560
• Journal Information: IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), Vol. 27, Issue 5; Other Information: PBD: Oct 1999; ISSN 0093-3813
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
42 ENGINEERING
COLLISIONAL PLASMA
RELAXATION
ELECTRONS
ELECTRIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
TIME DEPENDENCE
BOLTZMANN EQUATION
CHEMICAL REACTORS
LIGHTING SYSTEMS
GAS LASERS