THEORY OF ELECTROSTATIC PROBES IN A LOW DENSITY PLASMA

Journal Article · Sun Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1959 · Physics of Fluids (U.S.)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1705900· OSTI ID:4268043

Bernstein, I B; Rabinowitz, I N

The theory of sperical and cylindrical probes immersed in plasmas of such low density that collisions can be neglected is formulated. The appropriate Boltzmann equation is solved, yielding the particle density and flux as functionais of the electrostatic potential, the situation in the body of the plasma, and the properties of the prohe. This infoimation whcn inserted in Poisson's equation serves to determine ihe potential, and hence the probe characteristic. No a priori separation into sheath and plasma regions is required. Though amenable to a deternmination of the full probe characteristic. The method is applied in detail and numerical resuits are presented only for the collection of monoenergetic ions. for the case of neglignble electron current. These resuits indicate that the potential is not so insensitive to ion energy as has been believed, and that if the probe radius is sufficiently small, there enters the possibility of a class of ions which are trapped near the probe in troughs of the effective radiai potential energy. The population of these trapped ions is determined by collisions, however infrequent. It is difficult to calculates and coneeivably cofin have a marked effeet on the local potential. (auth)

• Research Organization: Princeton Univ., N.J.
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-13-011125
• OSTI ID: 4268043
• Journal Information: Physics of Fluids (U.S.), Journal Name: Physics of Fluids (U.S.) Vol. Vol: 2; ISSN PFLDA
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

BOLTZMANN EQUATION
COLLISIONS
CONFIGURATION
CURRENTS
DENSITY
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTRONS
ELECTROSTATICS
ENERGY
INSTRUMENTS
IONS
PLASMA
SAMPLING
SENSITIVITY