Atom--atom inelastic collisions and three-body atomic recombination in weakly ionized argon plasmas

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989 · Phys Fluids B; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.859101· OSTI ID:6822863

Braun, C G; Kunc, J A

A stationary collisional-radiative model including both inelastic electron--atom and atom--atom collisions is used to examine nonequilibrium weakly ionized argon plasmas with atomic densities 10/sup 16/--10/sup 20/ cm/sup -3/, temperatures below 6000 K, and with different degrees of radiation trapping. It is shown that three-body atomic recombination (e+A/sup +/+A..-->..A+A) becomes important at high particle densities. Comparison is made between the present approach and Thomson's theory for atomic recombination.

• Research Organization: Department of Aerospace Engineering and the Department of Physics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-1191
• OSTI ID: 6822863
• Journal Information: Phys Fluids B; (United States), Journal Name: Phys Fluids B; (United States) Vol. 1:1; ISSN PFBPE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700103* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Kinetics
ARGON
ATOM COLLISIONS
ATOM-ATOM COLLISIONS
COLLISIONAL PLASMA
COLLISIONS
ELECTRON COLLISIONS
ELECTRON-ATOM COLLISIONS
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
GASES
INELASTIC SCATTERING
IONIZED GASES
MANY-BODY PROBLEM
NONMETALS
PLASMA
PLASMA SIMULATION
RARE GASES
RECOMBINATION
SCATTERING
SIMULATION
STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS
TRAPPING
WEAKLY IONIZED GASES