Self-consistent modeling of DC and microwave nitrogen discharges and their afterglows

Journal Article · Wed Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 2004 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1843497· OSTI ID:20630463

Guerra, Vasco ^[1]

---

1. Centro de Fisica dos Plasmas, Instituto Superior Tecnico, 1049-001 Lisbon (Portugal)

This report presents an investigation on the modeling of stationary DC and microwave nitrogen discharges and their afterglows, operating at pressures around one Torr and ionization degrees between 10-7-10-4. The model is based on the self-consistent solutions to the electron Boltzmann equation coupled to the rate balance equations for the most important neutral and charged species, the wave electrodynamics characteristics and the gas thermal balance equation. The results are obtained as a function of the usual discharge operating parameters, namely gas pressure, discharge current or electron density, and tube radius. It is shown that the vibrationally excited molecules play a central role in the whole problem, ensuring a strong link between different kinetics and directly contributing to the mechanisms of dissociation and gas heating. Furthermore, vibrationally excited molecules in high vibration levels are in the origin of the peaks observed in the flowing afterglow for the concentrations of several species, such as N{sub 2}(A {sup 3}{sigma}{sub g}{sup +}), N2(B 3{pi}g), N{sub 2}{sup +}(B {sup 2}{sigma}{sub u}{sup +}) and electrons, which occur downstream from the discharge after a dark zone as a consequence of the V-V up-pumping mechanism.

• OSTI ID: 20630463
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 740; ISSN APCPCS; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
AFTERGLOW
BOLTZMANN EQUATION
DISSOCIATION
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRODYNAMICS
ELECTRON DENSITY
ELECTRONS
HIGH-FREQUENCY DISCHARGES
IONIZATION
MATHEMATICAL SOLUTIONS
MOLECULES
NITROGEN
PLASMA SIMULATION
VIBRATIONAL STATES