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Nonstationary and Quasi‐stationary Treatment of Distribution Anisotropy in the Temporal Relaxation of an Energetic Electron Group
Author(s) -
Winkler R.,
Braglia G. L.,
Wilhelm J.
Publication year - 1995
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.2150350302
Subject(s) - legendre polynomials , anisotropy , distribution function , boltzmann equation , isotropy , plasma , physics , electron , relaxation (psychology) , distribution (mathematics) , computational physics , statistical physics , quantum mechanics , mathematical analysis , mathematics , psychology , social psychology
A relaxation study of an electron group in collision dominated weakly ionized plasmas has been performed. The study is based on the two‐term approximation of the Legendre polynomial expansion of the electron velocity distribution in the nonstationary Boltzmann equation. To overcome the limitation of the conventional quasi‐stationary treatment of the distribution anisotropy, a very efficient solution approach of the nonstationary kinetic equation in two‐term approximation has been developed which allows for a strict nonstationary treatment of the distribution anisotropy. By using this approach the temporal evolution of the isotropic and anisotropic distribution of the electrons has been investigated for a model plasma, which involves typical features of an inert gas plasma. A comparison of the results with corresponding ones obtained by applying the conventional approach under various parameter conditions clearly indicates a pronounced falsification of the real relaxation course by the latter approach.