Gaseous Electronics and Gas Lasers (eBook)

Front Cover 1
Gaseous Electronics and Gas Lasers 4
Copyright Page 5
Table of Contents 8
Dedication 6
PREFACE 14
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 16
Chapter 1. Introduction 18
1.1 Gas discharge Species 18
1.2 Interactions between Species 19
1.3 Basic Characterization of Electrons 21
1.4 References 27
Chapter 2. Elementary Theory of a Gas Discharge 28
2.1 The Langevin Equation 28
2.2 Mobility, Conductivity and Dielectric Constant 29
2.3 Energy Balance, Electron Temperature and Energy Relaxation 34
2.4 References 36
Chapter 3. Collisions 37
3.1 Cross Section, Mean Free Path and Collision Frequency 37
3.2 Classical Scattering by a Central Force 41
3.3 Inelastic Collisions 55
3.4 References 64
Chapter 4. Distribution Functions and the Boltzmann Equation 66
4.1 Averages and Collisional Rates 67
4.2 Equilibrium Distributions and Rates 68
4.3 The Boltzmann Equation 74
4.4 Expansion of the Boltzmann Equation for an Applied Electric Field 76
4.5 Distribution Function for an Applied Electric - Field Elastic Collisions only 81
4.6 Distribution Functions when Electron-Electron Collisions are Important 83
4.7 Distribution Functions when Inelastic Collisions Dominate 86
4.8 Approximate Analytic Techniques for Determining Distribution Functions and Rates 92
4.9 References 110
Chapter 5. Transport Coefficients 112
5.1 Electrical Conductivity 112
5.2 Mobility 114
5.3 Diffusion 116
5.4 The Einstein Relation and Characteristic Energy 118
5.5 Corrections to the Langevin Equation 119
5.6 References 123
Chapter 6. The Fluid Equations 125
6.1 The Continuity Equation 126
6.2 The Momentum conservation Equation 127
6.3 The Energy-conservation Equation 128
6.4 References 130
Chapter 7. Electron-density Decay Processes 132
7.1 Diffusion 133
7.2 Recombination 145
7.3 Attachment 154
7.4 References 158
Chapter 8. DC Discharges – The Positive Column 161
8.1 Diffusion-dominated Discharges 161
8.2 Attachment-and Recombination-dominated Discharges 170
8.3 Constriction and Instability of the Positive Column 173
8.4 References 176
Chapter 9. Excited Species 178
9.1 Radiatively Decaying Species 179
9.2 Collisionally Decaying Species 179
9.3 References 195
Chapter 10. Atomic Neutral Gas Lasers 197
10.1 The Laser Concept 197
10.2 The Helium-neon Laser 202
10.3 Electron Collision-pumped Lasers 212
10.4 References 215
Chapter 11. Ion Lasers 217
11.1 Metal Vapor Lasers 217
11.2 Rare-gas Ion Lasers 218
11.3 References 225
Chapter 12. Molecular Gas Lasers 227
12.1 Molecular Structure and Nomenclature 227
12.2 The Molecular Nitrogen Laser 231
12.3 The Molecular Hydrogen Laser 237
12.4 CO2 Lasers 239
12.5 Excimer Lasers 254
12.6 References 265
Appendix A: Expansion of the Boltzmann Equation in Spherical Harmonics 271
Index 274
OTHER TlTLES IN THE SERIES IN NATURAL PHILOSOPHY 282