IONIZATION IN AN ELECTRODELESS DISCHARGE

Abstract

An analytical study was made of the ionization occurring in a weakly pre-ionized molecular hydrogen gas. The configuration studied consists of a long cylindrical gas column subjected to a strong, fast rising axial magnetic field which is initially zero. The investigation shows that in practice it is possible to obtain a l rge number of ionization collisions in a time t sub m during which the plasma mass motion and the magnetic field are negligible. For this time interval, if electron losses are neglected, the increase in ionization fraction depends only on the voltage induced around the discharge tube and on the ratio of the circumference of the tube to the electron mean free path. Quantitative order of magnitude results are given for this relation. For a fixed voltage around the discharge tube, maximum ionization during the mass motion time t sub m occurs if the energy gained by an electron in a free path is about equal to the threshold energy for ionization. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 15, 1961
Accession Number
AD0256216

Entities

People

  • Richard P. Treat

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Collisions
  • Discharge Tubes
  • Electrons
  • Hydrogen
  • Intervals
  • Ionization
  • Lepidoptera
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Mean Free Path
  • Time Intervals

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Combustion Dynamics and Shock Wave Physics.
  • Plasma Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics