Microwave-energy coupling in a nitrogen-breakdown plasma

Abstract

Computer simulations of microwave coupling to a nitrogen-breakdown plasma have been performed at 25 Torr. Nonhydrodynamic ionization fronts are observed to propagate toward the radiation source under a variety of circumstances. Free-nitrogen-breakdown simulations in a spherical system show the propagation velocity of the breakdown wave can be as high as 5×106 cm/sec. An elementary theory is used for estimating the speed of the breakdown wave in one dimension. The results are in reasonable agreement with breakdown experiments.