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Theoretical modeling of molecular and electron kinetic processes. Volume I. Theoretical formulation of analysis and description of computer program. Final technical report, 12 June 1978-15 January 1979

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5684781
This report describes and documents a comprehensive and reasonably general computer analysis applicable to a broad class of transient, electrically excited laser systems. The theoretical model is formulated, for a spatially homogeneous medium, in terms of the coupled set of equations which describe the molecular kinetics, electron kinetics, external discharge circuit, and optical radiative extraction. One of the unique features of the present code is that the molecular kinetic subroutines for an arbitrary reaction scheme are synthesized automatically by translation of an input queue of symbolically expressed reactions into computer-coded FORTRAN equations, which are automatically coupled to a Boltzmann analysis of electron kinetics. The electron kinetics analysis consists of numerical solution of the Boltzmann equation for the electron energy distribution. The technique for solution permits inclusion of inelastic binary electron-molecule collisions, superelastic collisions, electron-electron collisions, momentum transfer (with recoil), a source term for external creation of electrons (at zero energy and over a distribution of energies) by sources of ionization, and retention of the term proportional to dn sub e/dt for situations involving a net change in the electron density. From the electron energy distribution, all of the plasma parameters, electron excitation rates, and power partitioning can be obtained.
Research Organization:
Northrop Research and Technology Center, Hawthorne, CA (USA)
OSTI ID:
5684781
Report Number(s):
AD-A-066155
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English