Variational description of the positive column with two-step ionization

The ionization balance in diffusion-dominated discharges may depend on both one- and two-step ionization processes. The Spenke diffusion equation (D∇2n+νn+kn2=0) describing such conditions is solved in this paper by the Rayleigh-Ritz variational method. Simple analytic approximations to the density...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of applied physics 1980-03, Vol.51 (3), p.1422-1430
Main Author: Crawford, F. W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The ionization balance in diffusion-dominated discharges may depend on both one- and two-step ionization processes. The Spenke diffusion equation (D∇2n+νn+kn2=0) describing such conditions is solved in this paper by the Rayleigh-Ritz variational method. Simple analytic approximations to the density profile, and the similarity relation between ν, k, D, and the discharge dimensions, are derived for planar and cylindrical geometry and compared with exact computations for certain limiting cases.
ISSN:0021-8979
1089-7550
DOI:10.1063/1.327840