NON-EQUILIBRIUM EFFECTS ON CONDUCTIVITY AND ELECTRODE HEAT TRANSFER IN IONIZED GASES
Abstract
A simple theory of non-equilibrium conduction in ionized gases has been developed, which acco nts for the elevation of the electron temperature by energy gain in the electric field. It is assumed that the ionization is in equilibrium at the electron temperature. The theory yields a modified Ohm's law, such that the current density varies as a power of the electric field. The power is unity for gases at high temperatures, but can be very large at low gas temperatures. Measurements carried out with hot tantalum electrodes in an argon-potassium plasma at temperatures between 1500 K and 2500 K, at atmospheric pressure, agree with the predicted variations of the conductivity with both density and gas temperature. This is regarded as a verification of the assumption of ionization equilibrium at the electron temperature. Both the theory and the experiments indicate that the augmentation of electrode heat transfer by Joule heating in the boundary layer is less important than equilibrium theory predicts it to be. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1960
- Accession Number
- AD0259911
Entities
People
- Jack L. Kerrebrock
Organizations
- California Institute of Technology