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KInetic Description of the Positive Column for Medium Knudsen‐Numbers
Author(s) -
Wallschläger H.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
contributions to plasma physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.531
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1521-3986
pISSN - 0863-1042
DOI - 10.1002/ctpp.2150300305
Subject(s) - knudsen number , ion , distribution function , poisson's equation , plasma , collision , function (biology) , symmetry (geometry) , physics , atomic physics , flux (metallurgy) , kinetic energy , poisson distribution , distribution (mathematics) , mechanics , materials science , thermodynamics , classical mechanics , quantum mechanics , mathematical analysis , statistics , geometry , computer security , mathematics , evolutionary biology , biology , computer science , metallurgy
We analyze the influence of collisions on a plasma column with cylindrical symmetry in the pressure regime between the collision‐dominated and the free‐fall case. A model is investigated which can handle arbitrary contributions from ion‐neutral‐collisions. One finds an analytic solution for the ion‐distribution‐function which depends functionally on the potential. This electrical potential is calculated numerically — with consideration of the space‐charge‐layer near the wall — and selfconsistently from the Poisson‐equation. From the calculation of the ion‐distribution‐function, of density, flux and temperature of the ions as well as of the potential variation, we discuss the influence of the model parameters. The results are compared with corresponding hydrodynamic calculations.