Theory of Collisional Langmuir Probes.
Abstract
A kinetic theory approach is employed to develop a unified theoretical representation of the spherical Langmuir probe. Two-stream, Maxwellian distribution functions are employed for the charged particles, and the densities and temperatures associated with the distribution functions are determined by satisfying the first several moments of the corresponding Boltzmann equations. Numerical techniques for computing probe characteristics on a digital computer are described. Computed characteristics are obtained, compared with previous results and evaluated for a broad range of plasma conditions; including both the collisonless and collision dominated extremes. The theoretical approach is concluded to be sound. Areas for future improvement in the model are identified. The utility of the Waymouth model as a Langmuir probe data analysis tool is explored. It is shown that this approximate analytical model provides an accurate representation of the probe characteristic over a broad range of conditions. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1971
- Accession Number
- AD0881703
Entities
People
- Daniel R. Wilkins
- James A. Katra
Organizations
- General Electric