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Title: Entire plasmas can be restructured when electrons are emitted from the boundaries

Journal Article · · Physics of Plasmas
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4918339· OSTI ID:1266688
 [1]
  1. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

It is well known that electron emission can restructure the thin sheaths at plasma-facing surfaces. But conventional models assume that the plasma's structure negligibly changes (the “presheath” is still thought to be governed by ion acceleration to the Bohm speed). Here, it is shown by theory and simulation that the presheath can take a fundamentally different structure where the emitted electrons entering the quasineutral region cause numerous changes. As a result, gradients of total plasma density, ion and electron pressures, and electric potential throughout the “inverted” presheath can carry different magnitudes, and opposite signs, from Bohm presheaths.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-07NA27344; AC02-09CH11466
OSTI ID:
1266688
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1228596
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL-665867
Journal Information:
Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 22, Issue 4; ISSN 1070-664X
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 21 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (4)

The role of electron induced secondary electron emission from SiO 2 surfaces in capacitively coupled radio frequency plasmas operated at low pressures journal November 2017
Sheath structure in plasma with two species of positive ions and secondary electrons journal February 2016
Kinetic modeling of the electronic response of a dielectric plasma-facing solid journal July 2017
Are two plasma equilibrium states possible when the emission coefficient exceeds unity? journal May 2017

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