A fully kinetic, self-consistent particle simulation model of the collisionless plasma--sheath region

Journal Article · Sat Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1990 · Physics of Fluids B; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.859229· OSTI ID:6194393

Procassini, R J; Birdsall, C K; Morse, E C ^[1]

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1. Electronics Research Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA (USA)

A fully kinetic particle-in-cell (PIC) model is used to self-consistently determine the steady-state potential profile in a collisionless plasma that contacts a floating, absorbing boundary. To balance the flow of particles to the wall, a distributed source region is used to inject particles into the one-dimensional system. The effect of the particle source distribution function on the source region and collector sheath potential drops, and particle velocity distributions is investigated. The ion source functions proposed by Emmert {ital et} {ital al}. (Phys. Fluids {bold 23}, 803 (1980)) and Bissell and Johnson (Phys. Fluids {bold 30}, 779 (1987)) (and various combinations of these) are used for the injection of both ions {ital and} electrons. The values of the potential drops obtained from the PIC simulations are compared to those from the theories of Emmert {ital et} {ital al}., Bissell and Johnson, and Scheuer and Emmert (Phys. Fluids {bold 31}, 3645 (1988)), all of which assume that the electron density is related to the plasma potential via the Boltzmann relation. The values of the source region and total potential drop are found to depend on the choice of the electron source function, as well as the ion source function. The question of an infinite electric field at the plasma--sheath interface, which arises in the analyses of Bissell and Johnson and Scheuer and Emmert, is also addressed.

• DOE Contract Number: FG03-86ER53220
• OSTI ID: 6194393
• Journal Information: Physics of Fluids B; (USA), Journal Name: Physics of Fluids B; (USA) Vol. 2:12; ISSN 0899-8221; ISSN PFBPE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700103* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Kinetics
ABSORPTION
COLLISIONLESS PLASMA
CONFINEMENT
DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENERGY ABSORPTION
EQUILIBRIUM
FUNCTIONS
ION SOURCES
LIMITERS
PLASMA
PLASMA SHEATH
PLASMA SIMULATION
POTENTIALS
REVIEWS
SIMULATION
STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS
VACUUM SYSTEMS
VELOCITY
WALLS