Electron and metastable kinetics in the nitrogen afterglow

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2003

Authors

V. Guerra (Author) Other; Paulo Araújo Sá (Author) FEUP; J. Loureiro (Author) Other

Journal

The Journal is awaiting validation by the Administrative Services.

Title: PLASMA SOURCES SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Vol. 12 No. 4

Pages: S8-S15

ISSN: 0963-0252

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 30 Citations

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 39 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Natural sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-000-EQM

DOI: 10.1088/0963-0252/12/4/314

Abstract (EN): This work presents a theoretical study of the time-relaxation of both the electron energy distribution function and the populations of the different species of interest in the nitrogen afterglow of a omega/2pi = 433 MHz discharge at p = 3.3 Torr, in a tube with radius R = 1.9 cm. It is shown that collisions of highly excited N-2(X (1)Sigma(g)(+), v greater than or similar to 35) molecules with N(S-4) atoms may be in the origin of the observed pronounced maxima for the concentrations of various species, including electrons, occurring downstream from the discharge after a dark zone. Slow electrons remain for very long times in the post-discharge (at least up to t similar to 10(-3)-10(-2) s), and the strong coupling between the electron and metastable kinetics is clearly pointed out.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 8