THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF WEAKLY IONIZED GASES

Abstract

Some elementary solutions of the wave equation are obtained for electromagnetic waves in an ionized gas. The solutions demonstrate the importance of conductivity in controlling absorption. Improper computation of conductivity by conventional theory may lead to order of magnitude errors in estimating absorption. The theory of A.C. conductivity for a weakly ionized gas is reviewed. It is shown when and how the exact theory may be employed in conventional form and without error. The expression for the conductivity of a weakly ionized mixture of gases is formulated and analyzed in the low, intermediate and high pressure regions. The conductivity of the mixture is shown to be reducible to the sum of conductivities of gases of constant cross section but complex wave frequencies. Appropriate tables for the evaluation of these latter conductivities are being constructed.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 1962
Accession Number
AD0289012

Entities

People

  • Paul Molmud

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Carbon Monoxide
  • Charge Carriers
  • Charged Particles
  • Collisions
  • Dielectric Gases
  • Differential Equations
  • Electrical Conductivity
  • Electron Density
  • Electrons
  • Equations
  • Exhaust Gases
  • Free Electrons
  • High Pressure
  • Measurement
  • Rocket Exhaust
  • Wave Equations

Readers

  • Calculus or Mathematical Analysis
  • Combustion science or combustion engineering.
  • Plasma Physics / Magnetohydrodynamics