Magnetized direct current microdischarge. II. Effect of magnetic field amplitude on the plasma
Abstract
The influence of magnetic field amplitude on the direct current low-pressure (5 Torr) microplasma parameters is studied using one-dimensional particle-in-cell Monte Carlo collisions model with magnetized electrons and unmagnetized ions. We find that the breakdown voltage as the function of magnetic field has the local minimum. The position of this minimum corresponds to the value of magnetic field at which the electron magnetization is obtained. Also, we obtain two modes of microdischarge operation, namely, a low- and a high-current mode. These modes are separated by the magnetic field at which the electron mobility in the vicinity of the cathode becomes smaller than the ion mobility. This critical magnetic field also separates stable and unstable microplasma behaviour.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Mar 03, 2017
- Source ID
- 10.1063/1.4977755
Entities
People
- Dmitry Levko
- Laxminarayan L. Raja
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- University of Texas at Austin