RATES OF RECOMBINATION IN HYDROGENIC PLASMAS

Journal Article · Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1961 · Nature

OSTI ID:4060930

The possibility of three-body recombination into an excited state followed by spontaneous radiative decay an effective recombination mechanism is investigated. Computations are made of the rate at which the ground-states of hydrogen atoms and of hydrogen-like ions (B,V,Z = 5) are populated as a result of the following processes among the first 20 quantum states of the atom, the continuum of free electrons, and the corresponding bare nuclei: collision ionization, three-body recombination, collisional transitions between bound states, radiative recombination, snd spontaneous radiative transitions. The results are graphically presented in terms of a correction factor which is the amount by which the ground-state radiative recombination rate has to be multiplied to give the computed rate of populating the ground-state. The departures of the populations of the excited states of hydrogen from their Saha values is illustrated in a recombining plasma at an electron temperature kT/sub e/ = 1 ev. The rate at which the ion population decayed is about ten times greater than the radiative recombination rate for the hydrogen plasma of zeta. (N.W.R.)

• Research Organization: United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, Harwell, Berks, Eng.
• NSA Number: NSA-15-021647
• OSTI ID: 4060930
• Journal Information: Nature, Journal Name: Nature Vol. Vol: 190
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ATOMS
COLLISIONS
DECAY
DISTRIBUTION
ELECTRIC CHARGES
ELECTRODES
ELECTRONS
ELECTROSTATICS
EMISSION
EXCITATION
GASES
HYDROGEN
IONIZATION
IONS
MAXWELL DISTRIBUTION
MOCKUP
MOTION
NEUTRALIZATION
NUCLEI
PARTICLE SOURCES
PHYSICS
PLANNING
PLASMA
ROCKETS
SAHA EQUATION
SCATTERING
TEMPERATURE
THERMODYNAMICS
VELOCITY