Electron energy distributions in e-beam generated Xe and Ar plasmas
Calculations have been performed to determine the time evolution of electron energy distributions in e-beam generated Xe and Ar plasmas. In these calculations, we have included electron-neutral elastic and inelastic collisions, electron-electron collisions, and electron-ion dissociative recombination. Our results indicate that in equilibrium the distributions can be reasonably approximated by a Maxwellian below the thresholds for inelastic electron-neutral processes. However, above these thresholds, the inelastic processes dominate so that the high-energy tails of the distributions are largely missing. As a result, a model which takes the distribution to be Maxwellian everywhere somewhat underestimates the average energy of the electrons or overestimates the ionization and direct-impact excitation rates. At very early times and after the removal of the e-beam, there can be significant departures from a Maxwellian distribution. Following removal of the e-beam, the electrons equilibrate with the gas; however, this equilibration occurs on a time scale that is long compared to many other processes in noble-gas eximer laser systems. (AIP)
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544
- OSTI ID:
- 7364040
- Journal Information:
- J. Appl. Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Appl. Phys.; (United States) Vol. 47:7; ISSN JAPIA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
700106* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Plasma Production-- (-1987)
ARGON
BEAM-PLASMA SYSTEMS
BEAMS
BOLTZMANN STATISTICS
COLLISIONS
ELASTIC SCATTERING
ELECTRON BEAMS
ELECTRON COLLISIONS
ELEMENTS
EMISSION SPECTRA
ENERGY SPECTRA
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
EQUATIONS
EXCITATION
FLUIDS
GAS LASERS
GASES
INELASTIC SCATTERING
IONIZATION
IONIZED GASES
KINETIC EQUATIONS
KINETICS
LASERS
LEPTON BEAMS
NONMETALS
PARTICLE BEAMS
RARE GASES
REACTION KINETICS
RECOMBINATION
SCATTERING
SPECTRA
XENON