Charged-neutral collision models in the presence of drifts

Journal Article · Fri Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1996 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.871570· OSTI ID:388226

Pocobelli, G ^[1]

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1. Institute of Space and Atmospheric Studies, Department of Physics & Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E2 (Canada)

A charged-neutral collision model is presented for application to the kinetic theory of weakly ionized plasmas with immobile neutrals. The model is a modification of the well-known Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook model, which has been the main model used in space plasmas so far. In comparison, the new model produces self-consistently correct zero order drifts, and properly behaved zero order evolutions, while otherwise leaving identically unchanged all the kinetic dispersion equations of space plasma instabilities derived by the old model. Also, the present model allows to use directly the zero order {kappa}-distributions recently introduced by Summers and Thorne [Phys. Fluids B {bold 3}, 1835 (1991)] for space plasmas, as input parameters, to which the actual distribution relaxes in time, as well as their generalized plasma dispersion function {ital Z}{sub {kappa}}{sup {asterisk}}({ital z}) for the solution of dispersion equations. The new model is compared throughout to a previous model by Mikhailovskii and Pogutse [Sov. Phys. Tech. Phys. {bold 11}, 153 (1966)], which also produces the correct zero order drifts, but predicts autonomously the zero order distribution. {copyright} {ital 1996 American Institute of Physics.}

• OSTI ID: 388226
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 3; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
COLLISIONAL PLASMA
DISPERSION RELATIONS
IONOSPHERE
KINETIC EQUATIONS
PLASMA DRIFT
PLASMA INSTABILITY