Theory of Gas Discharge Plasma (eBook)

Preface 6
Contents 8
1 Introduction 12
Part I Processes in Gas Discharge Plasma 21
2 Properties of Gas Discharge Plasma 22
2.1 Equilibria and Distributions of Particles in Gases and Plasmas 22
2.2 Basic Plasma Parameters 26
2.3 Transport Coefficients 28
2.4 Ionization Equilibrium in Gas Discharge Plasma 29
2.5 Thermoemission of Electrons from the Cathode 32
2.6 Parameters of Helium and Argon Atoms and Ions 34
3 Elementary Processes in Gas Discharge Plasma 39
3.1 Elastic Collisions of Classical Atomic Particles 39
3.2 Elastic Electron-Atom Scattering in Slow Collisions 42
3.3 Inelastic Electron Collisions with Atoms 48
3.4 Resonant Atom Transitions in Collisions with Electrons 51
3.5 Transitions Between Neighboring Atom States in Collisions With Electrons 55
3.6 Atom Ionization by Electron Impact 58
3.7 Recombination of Electrons and Ions in Plasma 66
3.8 Three Body Processes and Stepwise Ionization of Atoms 67
3.9 Collision Processes Involving Ions 70
4 Radiative Processes in Gas Discharge Plasma 72
4.1 Radiative Transitions in Atoms 72
4.2 Photoionization and Photorecombination Process 74
4.3 Broadening of Spectral Lines 76
4.4 Cross Section and Absorption Coefficient for Resonant Photons 82
4.5 Propagation of Resonant Radiation in the Gas 86
4.6 Resonant Radiation in Excited Helium and Argon 91
4.7 Block Model for Atom Levels 95
Part II Kinetics and Transport Phenomena in Gas Discharge Plasma 98
5 Collision Processes in Kinetics of Gas Discharge Plasma 99
5.1 Kinetic Equation for Charged Particles 99
5.2 Integral Relations for an Average Momentum and Energy of a Charged Particle in Gas in Electric Field 101
5.3 Integral of Electron-Atom Collisions 105
5.4 Landau Collision Integral 107
5.5 Kinetics of Fast Electrons in Plasma 111
5.6 Electron Regimes in Gas Discharge Plasma 116
6 Kinetic Processes in Gas Discharge Plasma 119
6.1 Distribution Function of Electrons Located in Rareness Gas in Electric Field 119
6.2 Regime of High Electron Density in Electron Kinetics 126
6.3 Atom Excitation as Electron Diffusion in Energy Space 131
6.4 Efficiency of Atom Excitation by Electron Impact 136
6.5 Electron Distribution Function Above the Atom Excitation Threshold 140
6.6 Electron Kinetics in Gas in Strong Field 147
7 Transport Processes in Gas Discharge Plasma 157
7.1 Transport Phenomena in Gases 157
7.2 Electron Drift in Gas in External Electric Field 162
7.3 Electrons in Gas of Hard Spheres 170
7.4 Conductivity of Weakly Ionized Gas 176
7.5 Electron Thermal Conductivity of Helium Arc Plasma 179
7.6 Ion Drift and Diffusion in Gas in External Electric Field 182
7.7 Ambipolar Diffusion of Plasma in Gas in Electric Field 190
7.8 Heat Processes in Gas Discharge Plasma 197
7.9 Plasma Transport in Magnetic Field 199
Part III Processes in Gas Discharge 203
8 Ionization Equilibrium in Gas Discharge Plasma 204
8.1 Townsend Scheme for Self-maintaining of Gas Discharge 204
8.2 Ionization Equilibrium in Positive Column of Gas Discharge 212
8.3 Stepwise Ionization of Atoms in Positive Column 214
8.4 Plasma of Positive Column of Low Pressure Gas Discharge 216
8.5 Heat Processes in Positive Column of Gas Discharge 219
8.6 Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium in Arc Plasma of High Pressure 225
8.7 Ionization Equilibrium in Arc Plasma of High Pressure 230
9 Cathode and Wall Processes 233
9.1 Electric Breakdown of Gases 233
9.2 Electron Emission from Cathode in Ion Collisions 235
9.3 Properties of Cathode Region of Glow Discharge 238
9.4 Transition from Glow Discharge to Arc and Townsend Discharges 249
9.5 Plasma Sheath at Walls 252
9.6 Principles of Magnetron Discharge 256
Part IV Helium and Argon Gas Discharge Plasmas 261
10 Atom Excitation in Helium and Argon Uniform Plasma 262
10.1 Excitation of Metastable State in Helium Plasma at Low Electron Concentrations 262
10.2 Excitation of Metastable State in Helium Plasma at High Electron Concentrations 266
10.3 Inelastic Electron Collisions with Excited Helium Atoms 270
10.4 Excitation of Atoms in Argon Gas Discharge Plasma 281
10.5 Continuous Spectrum of Radiation of Equilibrium Plasma 288
10.6 Tail of the Energy Distribution Function of Electrons 291
11 Ionization in Helium and Argon Gas Discharge Plasma 294
11.1 Single Ionization of Atoms in Helium Gas Discharge Plasma 294
11.2 Stepwise Ionization of Atoms in Helium Gas Discharge Plasma 299
11.3 Single and Stepwise Ionization of Atoms in Argon Gas Discharge Plasma 306
11.4 Thermodynamic of Stepwise Ionization in Gas Discharge Plasma 310
11.5 Ionization in Argon Gas Discharge Plasma Involving Excited Atoms 314
12 Helium and Argon Plasma in Positive Column of Gas Discharge 317
12.1 Schottky Regime for Ionization Equilibrium in Positive Column 317
12.2 Stepwise Ionization in Helium Positive Column 323
12.3 Ionization in Argon Gas Discharge Plasma of Positive Column 333
12.4 Hot Gas Discharge Plasma of Positive Column 340
12.5 Capillary Discharge 349
13 Processes at Boundaries of Gas Discharge Plasma 359
13.1 Cathode Plasma of Glow Discharge Near Equilibrium 359
13.2 Cathode Layer of Abnormal Glow Discharge 366
13.3 Transition Region in Glow Discharge 370
13.4 The Wall Plasma Sheath for Positive Column in Helium and Argon 372
13.5 Magnetron Plasma in Helium and Argon 378
14 Principles of Gas Discharge Plasma 389
14.1 Gas Discharge Plasma as Complex Physical Object 389
14.2 Self-consistent Character of Processes Involving Excited Atom States 392
14.3 Regimes of Gas Discharge Plasma 397
14.4 Conclusion 400
Appendix 401
References 411
Index 422