Boltzmann equation studies on electron swarm parameters for oxygen plasma by using electron collision cross – sections

Abstract

The Boltzmann transport equation has been solved using a two-term approximation method in pure electronegative gas oxygen to evaluate the electron energy distribution function (EEDF) and electron transport parameters for a wide range of E/N varying from 0.1 to 1000 Td (1 Td=10-17 V.cm2). These parameters, are “electron drift velocity, mean electron energy, characteristic energy, diffusion coefficients, electron mobility, attachment and ionization coefficients, effective ionization coefficient and critical reduced electric field strength (E/N)crt”..The dependence of second kind collision (super-elastic collision) and electron energy distribution function on E/N are explained (where E is electric field and N is neutral number density). The present calculated results are in good agreements as compared, with the previous experimental and theoretical results. A group of electron/molecule collision (elastic and inelastic) cross-sections are collected for oxygen gas to evaluate transport parameters over the entire E/N range. In addition, the energy lost by different types of electron/molecule collision processes are computed as a function of E/N.

Keywords

• Boltzmann equation, Electron energy distribution function (EEDF), Electron transport parameters, Critical field strength, Electric discharge.